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  • Title: Natural family planning. I. The peak symptom and estimated time of ovulation.
    Author: Hilgers TW, Abraham GE, Cavanagh D.
    Journal: Obstet Gynecol; 1978 Nov; 52(5):575-82. PubMed ID: 724176.
    Abstract:
    The observation of the "Peak" mucus symptom in women using the ovulation method of natural family planning has been correlated with the estimated time of ovulation, as evaluated by indirect hormonal parameters. In 65 cycles of the 73 studied in 24 patients, there was hormonal confirmation of ovulation; in eight cycles, anovulation or luteal dysfunction was suspected. In the 65 normal cycles, 64 exhibited a Peak symptom. In those cycles, ovulation was estimated to occur from 3 days before to 3 days after the Peak symptom with a mean of 0.31 days before the Peak symptom. In 95.4% of these cycles, ovulation was estimated to occur from 2 days before to 2 days after the Peak symptom. The variation between cycles of the same patient ranged from 0 to 4 days with a mean of 1.8 days. The beginning of the mucus symptom preceded the estimated time of ovulation by an average of 5.9 days. The purpose of this study of the ovulation method of natural family planning was to correlate the "Peak" mucus symptom with the estimated time of ovulation (ETO) and to note cyclic variations within a group of 24 women as well as in individual women. Criteria for entry into the study were: the recording of mucus observations and oral basal body temperatures for at least 3 cycles, a documentation of at least 3 cycles in which biphasic temperature curves were obtaining showing a luteal phase of at least 12 days. Serum samples were assayed for luteinizing hormone, estradiol-17 beta, and progesterone by radioimmunoassay. ETO was considered to have occurred during the time when the progesterone level was between 1 ng/ml and 2.3 ng/ml. Scores characterizing the mucus discharge were kept by the women and used for plotting the mucus cycle in correlation with hormone levels. Of the 73 cycles studied 65 were considered ovulatory. 64 cycles displayed a "Peak" symptom; ovulation in these was found to occur from 3 days before to 3 days after the "Peak" symptom; on average 0.31 days before the "Peak" symptom. In 95.4% of the 64 cycles it was estimated to occur from 2 days before to 2 days after the "Peak" symptom. The number of mucus days preceding the ETO averaged 5.9 days. The cyclic variation in correlation between the ETO and the "Peak" symptom in the individual woman averaged 1.8 days. In 63 of the 65 normal ovulatory cycles ETO coincided with the time of fertility as defined by the ovulation method. The findings of this study are in agreement with those of previous studies and would, it seems, justify future work to further clarify the method's application and the role of cervical mucus.
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