Evaluation of cervical mucus is a standard for determining the fertile period in natural family planning. Cervical mucus accepts, filters, prepares, and releases sperm for successful transport to the egg and fertilization. Recent scientific advances provide answers to how the mucus regulates fertility as its physical properties change during the menstrual cycle. Transmission electron microscopy reveals small interstices between mucus macromolecules relative to a sperm head. Thus advancing sperm must push aside or cut through the microstructure. The interstices are largest in the periovulatory phase of the cycle. Small magnetic spheres, comparable with the size of a sperm head, are now being used to study the physical properties of the mucus on the scale of individual sperm.
Pommerenke WT, 1946American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Cervical mucus at midcycle is increased in amount, acellularity, water content, and fluidity. Furthermore, cervical mucus at this time is well supplied with carbohydrate and presumably amino acids. Fr...
An introduction to and some new anatomical and physiological aspects of the cervix and vagina are presented and also an explanation of the biosynthesis and molecular structure of mucus.
Canalization of cervical mucus from 31 patients at the obstetric/gynecologic clinic at the Universita Cattolica del S. Cuore in Rome, Italy has studied to determine the biochemical basis of canalizati...
In order to evaluate the relationship between the urinary luteinizing hormone (LH) surge as detected by the OvuSTICK (Monoclonal Antibodies, Inc., Mountain View, CA) method and daily cervical mucus pa...