Cyclic changes in cervical mucus, and its practical importance

Papers surveying the fate of spermatozoa in the various regions of the woman's reproductive tract and correlating the cycle of mucus with other cyclic sexual phenomena led to a study on some practical problems associated with variations in cervical mucus. Samples were aspirated fr om the normal external os of sterile, amenorrheic, pregnant, and menopau sal women. Stilbestrol therapy definitely affected the character of cervical mucus in sterile and menopausal women changing it from acid and impenetrable to alkaline and readily penetrable. Upon discontinuation o f stilbestrol, the mucus returned to an impenetrable acid. 14 cervical mucus specimens from pregnant women were observed. In all instances muc us was slightly penetrable but the pH varied from 4.5 to 7.5 making supe rfetation an unlikely possibility. 20 menopausal preestrogenic therapy patients had scant or moderate viscid or crumbly cervical mucus with a pH of 4.5. Mucus was impenetrable to semen in each case. Estrogen ther apy noticeably altered the mucus. These observations indicate that dete rmination of mucus responses will be more exact and simple than the vagi nal smear technique.