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Of the countless years that I have been trying, in no doctor that I spent I was indicated to do the post-coitus test. I think nowadays there has been more talk about this test, but still less than it should. The post-coitus test diagnoses what many people could not even imagine having and happening: a hostility of the cervical mucus with sperm.
Did you know that mucus helps in fertilization? Mucus plays a key role in pregnancy. With the right conditions and adequate viscosity , it feeds and helps to make the sperm reach the tube healthy where it will fertilize the egg. To help in this regard, the use of fertility-friendly lubricating gels can help to improve vaginal moisture, playing the role of mucus taking sperm more easily to the eggs, balancing the vaginal PH and providing a more conducive environment for their survival. This is the case with FamiGel , already tested and guaranteed by many women who have achieved their positive. You can learn more about FamiGel here at this link .
If the mucus is inadequate, the sperm will have reduced conditions to survive in the vaginal environment and may end up dying. Sometimes, the mucus can also be thicker than adequate and prevent the sperm from slipping and reaching the uterus.
Most couples are advised to undergo certain tests to find out whether they are fertile or not, such as sperm tests, hormonal tests, hysterosalpingography and others.
However, the post coitus test ends up being left out. Some cases of infertility are not apparent in young, healthy couples, nor are they investigated with this simple test, and that is where the danger lies.
Post coitus test seen under the microscope
How is the Post-coitus Test done?
The post-coitus test is to collect the material from the vagina after sexual intercourse in a certain period after intercourse. This material collected in the post-coitus test will show how many sperm are alive and how well they are moving.
If the man has already had a spermogram , it will be easier to detect changes in his material and then check if the reason for the non-pregnancy is the environment of the woman’s vaginal flora .
The post-coitus test is simple and can be done with any woman.
Some factors that contribute to the vaginal environment becoming unfit for sperm are, for the most part, acidic vaginal PH and altered bacilli, making the mucus inappropriate for the locomotion of the sperm towards the tube.
Being able to do this post-coitus test can become a problem, since there are few laboratories that do it. Usually, the test is done after 48 hours of sexual intercourse , and the number of live sperm will be indicative of whether or not the vaginal mucus is hostile to the sperm.
The laboratory also assesses the amount of live and mobile sperm in the mucus. So, the mucus has to be as transparent as possible for it to be healthy. If the color of the mucus varies, there may be some change in addition to the acidity of the mucus.
To perform the test, it is necessary that the woman is in the fertile period and also that the couple is abstaining from sexual intercourse for at least 3 days. This will make it possible to collect a satisfactory amount of material for evaluation.
It is necessary not to get out of bed for at least 1 hour after intercourse and to raise your hips in order to avoid semen loss. After this period, it is necessary to use an absorbent until the moment of collecting the material to be analyzed.
To have a satisfactory result of reproductive vision, at least 5 sperm must be alive in linear progression, that is, swimming towards the tube to fertilize the egg, and this procedure is done by super microscopes.
Some laboratories consider over 10 units in linear progression, so it becomes even more complex to have a favorable post-coital test. Therefore, the post-coitus test is combined with the spermogram to be sure where the problem comes from.
Although excellent, like any other exam, there are margins of error caused by the poor timing of the withdrawal time of the material, even the quality of the mucus specifically in that cycle.
Therefore, it is important to combine the post-coitus test with other tests to make sure that the problem would be that and, whenever possible, to do the test more than one cycle. Sometimes a woman’s simple hormonal changes can favor a change in vaginal PH, a transient state that can correct itself over time. Other times, there are ways to circumvent hostile mucus with artificial insemination, if applicable and the couple can afford it.
The artificial insemination skips the part where the sperm need to go through the hostile mucus, and then, take the male material to the tubes where they can more easily provide pregnancy.
Alternatively, there are tricks to help the mucus become appropriate, such as the use of friendly gels – FamiGel – and sitz baths with vinegar or bicarbonate can also help at the time of conception. Anyway, if the couple’s infertility is not apparent and you haven’t had the post-coital test yet, talk to your gynecologist and get to work!
See also: Positions for Getting Pregnant – Tips and Tricks
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
