List of Difficult Words 549
appendix A finger-like sac attached to the large
intestine.
areola The dark, bumpy area around the nipple.
ART Antiretroviral Therapy ART is a
combination of 3 or more antiretroviral medicines
taken every day by people with HIV. (It is also
called HAART or Triple Therapy.)
artery A thin, tube-like vessel that carries blood
from the heart through the body. Arteries have
a pulse. Veins, which return blood to the heart,
have no pulse.
arthritis Pain and swelling in the joints.
asthma A disease of the lungs, which causes
attacks of difficult breathing. There is often
a hissing or wheezing sound when a person
breathes out.
B
bacteria Germs that cause many different
infectious diseases. Bacteria are too small to see
without a microscope.
bacterial vaginosis An infection of the vagina
caused by bacteria.
bag of waters The sac (or amniotic sac) inside
the womb that holds the baby. When the sac
breaks and releases fluid, this usually means that
labor has begun.
balls Part of the man’s outer genitals. Also called
the testicles.
barrier methods Family planning methods that
prevent pregnancy by keeping the sperm from
reaching the egg.
Bartholin’s glands Small glands on either side of
the vaginal opening that make a liquid to keep
the vagina wet.
benefit The good that something may bring.
bile A liquid found in the gallbladder that helps
digest fatty foods.
bilharzia An infection caused by a kind of worm
that gets into the bloodstream.
biopsy When a piece of tissue or fluid is
taken from somewhere on or in the body and
examined to see if it is healthy or diseased.
birth canal See vagina.
birth control See family planning.
birth control pills A hormonal family planning
method.
birth defects Physical or mental problems a child
is born with, like a cleft lip or cleft palate, or an
extra finger or toe.
birth spacing Using family planning methods to
space your children.
blackouts When you are using too much alcohol
or other drugs and wake up not knowing what
happened.
bladder The bag inside the abdomen that stores
urine. As the bladder fills, it stretches and gets
bigger.
blood clots Soft, dark red, shiny lumps in the
blood that look like liver.
blood pressure The force or pressure of the
blood upon the walls of the blood vessels
(arteries and veins). Blood pressure varies with
the age and health of the person.
blood transfusion When someone’s blood is
given to another person, in a vein and using a
special needle, to replace blood the person may
have lost.
blurred eyesight When the eyes cannot see
things clearly.
bowels The intestines.
brand name The name for a medicine that is
given by the company that makes it. Compare
with generic.
breast exam Checking the breasts for lumps that
might be a sign of cancer.
breast infection (mastitis) An infection inside the
breast that can be very painful for the mother,
and make it difficult for the baby to suck the
nipple.
breech When a baby is born feet or buttocks
first, instead of head first.This can be dangerous
for the baby.
bronchitis An infection of the large tubes in the
lungs.
buttocks The round, fleshy part of the body a
person sits on.
Where Women Have No Doctor 2012