Sperm migration into post partum cervical mucus: scanning microscopy study

Breast-feeding is associated to the infertile period occurring post-partum. During this period there is arise in prolactin and FSH, with lowered levels of LH, progester one and estradiol, indicating ovarian in activity. There assumption of ovarian ciclic activity, with rising estradiol levels should be associated with a change in the pattern of cervical mucus secretion from an infertile type of mucus to a fertile type. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the score of the cervical mucus, according to WHO parameters, present in amenorrhoeic women under exclusive breast feeding at 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 days post partum. In addition, sperm migration into the mucus was evaluated using the slide contact test method according to WHO (1987). Scanning electron microscope studies were done in order to stablish the ultrastructural characteristic as of post partum mucus and it with control peri-ovulatory cervical mucus. Cervical mucussamples from 54 women were collected at the time intervals described before. Six samples from normal lycycling women were used as control. Twenty-one (39%) of the 54 post partum cervical mucus samples gave a positive result in the slide contact test.