Post Coital Test Results
Question
My husband and I were trying for a baby for 1 1/2 years. We went for a post-coital test on day 16 after my menstruation, the result showing negative (encounter dead sperm). I was worried if the following could have caused this negative result.
– I have my ovulation prediction test on day 13 and it shows up the surge, but my doctor asked to have post-coital test on day 16. I just wonder if maybe the ovulation phase was already over and this caused negative result?
– My husband has applied saliva as the lubricant during the intercourse. Is it possible that saliva cause the death of sperm?
Any advice you can give would be so helpful. Thank you.
Answer
Last Updated: July 24, 2013
It is certainly possible that the timing of the post-coital test was responsible for the poor result. If your act of intercourse occurred at a time when there was either diminished quantity or poor quality mucus, that would cause the test to suggest that you had a problem with cervical mucus–when in fact, it would have been the timing, not the mucus quality, that was the problem! The utility of a post coital test in general is certainly questionable.
A better assessment of your cervical mucus would be an evaluation of your NFP chart by a trained physician. The Creighton Model NFP system standardizes the recording of the cervical mucus, allowing a trained physician to assess the quantity and quality of the cervical mucus very reliably. I would encourage you to learn this method, chart your cycles, and have your charts evaluated by a physician familiar with interpreting this data.
Though the presence of saliva could technically affect the survivability of sperm, it is unlikely that this of itself would be responsible for the outcome. If there had been sufficient quantities of high quality mucus present, the saliva would have been very unlikely to affect the sperm. Other lubricants would be preferable, though.
Dr. John Gisla
A better assessment of your cervical mucus would be an evaluation of your NFP chart by a trained physician. The Creighton Model NFP system standardizes the recording of the cervical mucus, allowing a trained physician to assess the quantity and quality of the cervical mucus very reliably. I would encourage you to learn this method, chart your cycles, and have your charts evaluated by a physician familiar with interpreting this data.
Though the presence of saliva could technically affect the survivability of sperm, it is unlikely that this of itself would be responsible for the outcome. If there had been sufficient quantities of high quality mucus present, the saliva would have been very unlikely to affect the sperm. Other lubricants would be preferable, though.
Dr. John Gisla
Answered By:
John Gisla, MD
Dr. John Gisla, Board Certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians, pracitces in the Sacramento Region.
