What is a postcital test?

Postcoital test is an infertility test in which cervical mucus is taken by the patient several hours after contact and examined for sperm activity. Most of the time there will be a postcoon test one or two days before ovulation, when the conditions are best for sperm. Sperm can usually live in cervix for some time, so this test will usually take place several hours after contact. This test is considered potentially invasive and ineffective and is often used late in the test process, unless any other tests have explained a specific case of infertility.

Normal test results will have several characteristics. Live sperm levels should be normal and sperm should normally move mucus. The mucus should stretch about 2 inches (5 cm) and should dry in a characteristic pattern of ferns on a microscopic slip. These types of results could indicate that uterine mucus is a friendly environment for sperm. Postcoital test can rule out several causes of infections, VCEThroughout problems with ovulation and the effect of the immune system on the sperm.

abnormal test results may show that many or all sperm is dead or clustered together and moving with slow patterns through mucus. The cervix does not have to be stretched and does not have to dry on the formula in the shape of fern for microscopic slip. These types of postcoital test results could indicate the problems of the immune system, the wrong timing timing and other related factors. Although this test may be useful for determining the effects of certain factors, it can also be considered ineffective.

Many doctors prefer not to use a postcoital test unless it is necessary to diagnose infertility. Some healthcare professionals are cautious against the test, with the exception of the last option. Results can affect many factors that cannot be controlled in the laboratory such as ineffective coitus and timing ovulationEpostcoital test.

Evidence -based medicine, on the other hand, can affect fertility and can improve the patient's chances to fertility. Other fertility tests considered by many doctors long before considering the postcital test include laparoscopy and endometrial biopsy. The extent of fertility and infertility tests means that the postcoital test may not even provide useful results compared to other procedures. Medicine based on evidence and other infertility testing are usually more effective, so many medical practices have decided not to use a postcital test to determine the cause of the patient's infertility.