Contraception Cervical Mucus Sperm Penetration in Women on Oral Contraception or with an Iud in Situ

Penetration of cervical mucus by spermatozoa was observed in cycling and infertile women, in women on sequential or combination oral contraceptive medication, and in women with an IUD in situ. _Sperm penetration of cervical mucus varied from women not using contraceptives and from infertile women, to patients taking sequential conception control pills. In cycling women penetration was low in the early proliferative phase, high at mid-cycle, and low again in the luteal phase. The infertility patients, studied around mid-cycle, had high penetration. Patients on the sequential pill had moderate to high penetration throughout the cycle. Patients using IUD's had higher than anticipated sperm penetration, especially during the luteal phase of the cycle (p<O.O5), but also from Days 11-19, perhaps due to a local effect of the IUD on mucus production. Patients taking the low dose combination conception control pills had unexpectedly high penetration. During midcycle, when ovulation usually occurs, sperm penetration did not differ significantly from that in cycling women. Accepted for publication February 17, 1971 MARC11 1971 VOI,. 3 NO. 3 209