Cervical mucus

cervical is a stringy and viscous substance, more or less dense, which performs several and important functions:

• lubricates the neck of the uterus (or cervix)
• protects the innermost organs of the genital sphere from infections, such as the body of the uterus and the fallopian tubes: cervical mucus has bacteriostatic properties
• opposes the passage of spermatozoa in the phases in which the woman's organism is not predisposed to fertilization
• facilitates the passage, survival and the process of capacitation (by which they acquire fertilizing capacity) of spermatozoa during the ovulatory phase, a period in which female fertility is maximum; also in this phase the cervical mucus contributes to trapping the less viable spermatozoa, not completely mature or with unfavorable morphological characteristics, between its meshes
• During pregnancy, cervical mucus becomes particularly thick and accumulates in the cervical canal, obstructing it and creating a protective barrier for the fetus called a mucous plug. This cork is lost just before delivery.

All these functions of the cervical mucus, in some ways opposed, depend on the endocrine balance of the woman, or on her hormonal levels. In particular:

• Estrogens, whose peak occurs near ovulation, stimulate the cervical cells to secrete a viscous, transparent and acellular mucus, which favors the survival and migration of spermatozoa. In addition to becoming more lax, clear and abundant, similar to "egg white", in the ovulatory phase the cervical mucus becomes more alkaline, in order to neutralize the typical acidity of the vaginal canal and increase the survival of the spermatozoa.
• The lack of estrogen and progesterone, whose peak occurs after ovulation, stimulate the secretion of a denser and more acidic cervical mucus, which opposes the passage of spermatozoa → a sort of plug is created that blocks the " external uterine orifice, through which the cervix opens into the vagina and protrudes in a similar way to a snout of tench

Anatomy of the female genital system

1) VAGINA
2) NECK OF THE UTERUS (or Cervix)
3) UTERUS
4) FALLOPIUM TUBE
5) OVE
6) FIMBRIE

Cervical mucus is essentially the product of the secretion of endocervical cells, to which are added small quantities of fluids from the endometrium, the fallopian tubes and, probably, from the ruptured follicle.

Components of the cervical mucus

• water: main constituent, alone represents 90% of cervical mucus → increases in percentage terms in the preovulatory phase (up to 95-98%) and decreases in the other phases of the cycle → this change plays an important role in some contraceptive methods based on "observation of cervical mucus
• glucose and other organic components such as glycerol, whose concentration increases during sexual arousal and which probably facilitates fertilization → the availability of glucose also increases the vitality of spermatozoa, which have limited energy reserves
• amino acids and soluble proteins
• electrolytes (calcium, sodium and potassium, zinc, copper, iron, manganese and selenium) → increase in the days immediately before and after ovulation
• the mucus may contain specific antibodies, capable of immobilizing and neutralizing the partner's spermatozoa → immunological incompatibility → the couple's difficulty in having children
• the quantity of cervical mucus produced at the beginning of the menstrual cycle has been quantified in 20 mcg / day, while in full ovulation this quantity can rise up to 600-700 mcg / day; the phenomenon is however subject to a "wide individual variability.

);

foamy, green-yellow vaginal discharge associated with itching and irritation (probable cause: Trichomonas);

white, greyish, foamy discharge with a fetid odor especially after sexual intercourse or intimate hygiene (probable causes: bacterial vaginosis, Gardnerella vaginalis);

modest vaginal discharge well adhering to the walls, associated with intense itching and burning, white and cheesy, similar to a "soft cheese" (probable cause: Candidiasis);

muco-purulent vaginal discharge associated with pains during sexual intercourse (probable cause: Chlamydia, Ureaplasma urealyticum).

Read the in-depth study on the causes of alteration of the cervical mucus - in addition to preventing ovulation - they increase the density and acidity of the cervical mucus, hindering the passage of spermatozoa

estrogens (estradiol acetate, cypionate or valerate) administered alone in the absence of progestins, on the other hand, increase the "fertility" of cervical mucus; they are often associated with clomiphene, a potent ovulation inducer

(days on which you have a chance to get pregnant). This allows you to plan sexual intercourse in order to reduce or increase - depending on the case - the chances of pregnancy.

For this reason, the observation of cervical mucus is one of the strategies adopted by various methods of natural contraception, such as the Billings method and the symptothermal one.

Observation of cervical mucus

We have seen how in the ovulatory period - which coincides with the moment of maximum fertility of the woman (fertile window) - the cervical mucus becomes clearer, stringy and abundant. These characteristics can be appreciated with the naked eye, but also with the help of laboratory techniques.

In addition to being particularly elastic and stringy, the cervical mucus secreted during ovulation, if left to dry on the slide and observed under the microscope, has a characteristic fern-like arborization; this peculiarity is known as ferning.

The term "spinnbarkeitt"or filanza, on the other hand, refers to the elasticity of the mucus: if it is placed between two slides and moved away, it forms filaments up to 8-12 centimeters long.

By observing the changes in the cervical mucus during the menstrual cycle, it is possible to obtain indications on which are the fertile days of the woman

, during which the cervical mucus is particularly filamentous and dense.

In-depth study of cervical mucus and the symptothermal method