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Cervical mucus monitoring prevalence and associated fecundability in women trying to conceive

Emily Evans-Hoeker, Amy H Herring, D Leann Long, Joseph B Stanford, A Z Steiner, David A. Pritchard

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ROR
  • University of Utah ROR

Fertility and Sterility, 100(4), 1033-1038.e1

DOI 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.06.002 PMID 23850303

Abstract

Objective

To assess the use of cervical mucus monitoring (CMM) in women trying to conceive and determine whether monitoring is associated with increased cycle-specific probability of conception (fecundability).

Design

Time-to-pregnancy cohort study.

Setting

Population-based cohort.

PATIENT(S): Three hundred thirty-one women trying to conceive, ages 30 to 44 years, without known infertility.

INTERVENTION(S): None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): CMM prevalence and fecundability.

RESULT(S): During the first cycle of the study, CMM was performed consistently (checked on >66% of pertinent cycle days) by 20 women (6%), inconsistently (34% to 66% of days) by 60 women (18%), infrequently (≤33% of days) by 73 women (22%), and not performed by 178 women (54%). Cycles in which CMM was consistently performed were statistically significantly more likely to result in conception after adjusting for age, race, previous pregnancy, body mass index, intercourse frequency, and urinary luteinizing hormone (LH) monitoring. Fecundability also increased with increasing consistency of CMM.

CONCLUSION(S): Among women trying to conceive, CMM is uncommon, but our study suggests that CMM-a free, self-directed method to determine the fertile window-is associated with increased fecundability independent of intercourse frequency or use of urinary LH monitoring.

Topics

Fertility AwarenessInfertility
cervical mucus monitoring fecundability conception, cervical mucus monitoring prevalence women, fertility awareness conception probability, timed intercourse cervical mucus observation, cycle-specific pregnancy probability, cervical mucus tracking conception optimization, time-to-pregnancy cervical mucus cohort, natural fertility indicators conception, mucus monitoring population-based study
PMID 23850303 23850303 DOI 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.06.002 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.06.002

Cite this article

Evans-Hoeker, E., Pritchard, D. A., Long, D. L., Herring, A. H., Stanford, J. B., & Steiner, A. Z. (2013). Cervical mucus monitoring prevalence and associated fecundability in women trying to conceive. *Fertility and sterility*, *100*(4), 1033-1038.e1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2013.06.002

Keywords

Adult, Cervix Mucus/metabolism, Female, Fertility, Fertilization, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Humans, Models, Statistical, Ovulation Detection/statistics & Numerical Data, Predictive Value of Tests, Pregnancy, Self Care/methods/statistics & Numerical Data, Time Factors, Time-to-Pregnancy, Cervical Mucus Monitoring, Conception, Fecundability, Fertile Window

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