Vigil, P., Blackwell, L. F., & Cortés, M. E. (2012). The Importance of Fertility Awareness in the Assessment of a Woman's Health a Review. The Linacre Quarterly, 79(4), 426-450. https://doi.org/10.1179/002436312804827109
Vigil P, Blackwell LF, Cortés ME. The Importance of Fertility Awareness in the Assessment of a Woman's Health a Review. Linacre Q. 2012;79(4):426-450. doi:10.1179/002436312804827109
Vigil, Pilar, et al. "The Importance of Fertility Awareness in the Assessment of a Woman's Health a Review." The Linacre Quarterly, vol. 79, no. 4, 2012, pp. 426-450.
Cervical mucus charting may help reveal ovulation problems
Charting cervical mucus can help a woman recognize her fertile days, ovulation problems and infections, this review argues. Three researchers wrote it in 2012. It covers ovulation, hormones, mucus, and what changes with thyroid disease, PCOS and infection.
Key Findings
The authors describe six cycle types, from no ovarian activity to an ovulatory cycle with an adequate luteal phase, and write that only the last can lead to a viable pregnancy.
The authors write that mucus around ovulation lets normal sperm through for only six to seven days of the cycle. After ovulation, progesterone makes mucus opaque and dense.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), renamed PMOS (Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome), may alter mucus crystal patterns and pore size. Of women with PCOS studied, about 52 percent had mild or severe insulin resistance.
Chlamydia trachomatis infection showed a 13 percent incidence in infertile couples and is often linked to Fallopian tube disease. Thyroid disorders were present in about 2 percent of women with menstrual irregularities.
After oral contraceptive pills (suppressive medications) were stopped, pregnancy percentages in the first three months were lower than after mechanical contraceptives. They were equal only after ten months.
Interpretation
This narrative review gathers the authors' clinical observations on cervical mucus charting. The authors treat mucus changes as a guide to spotting ovulation problems, thyroid disease, PCOS and infection. They also credit fertility awareness with a role in school programs on sexuality and relationships. The findings support larger studies of fertility awareness education in clinics and schools.
RRM Context
Restorative reproductive medicine treats ovulation as a sign of health and asks why a cycle is abnormal before choosing a treatment. A chart gives a clinician that record. The review adds that the man requires treatment in the infections it lists, so evaluation covers both partners.
Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.
Abstract
Fertility awareness constitutes fundamental knowledge for every woman and is an important tool for health professionals. The objective of this review is to show how fertility awareness can be useful in the assessment of a woman's health. The main techniques for detecting ovulation are explained, and then the events that characterize a normal menstrual cycle are discussed. The relevance of cervical mucus from the perspective of female fertility is highlighted. Finally, the usefulness of fertility awareness 1) to identify fertile and infertile periods, 2) to help to detect several pathologies, and 3) in regards to how it exerts an important role in the success of programs in education for affectivity and sexuality are discussed.
