Presence of spermatozoa in cervicovaginal smears from young and old women.

Routine cervicovaginal (PAP) smears from 1,239 women from ages 16 to 92 were examined retrospectively for spermatozoa. The prevalence of spermatozoa in cervicovaginal smears was found to be highest (25%) in the 20-24 year age group, and fell gradually to 20% in the 70-79 year age group. The oldest woman in the study to have spermatozoa in her smear was 76 years old. In order to evaluate persistence of spermatozoa in the lower genital tracts of women, 697 smears were prepared from women who had volunteered the time of last coitus, birth control methods, and douching practices. Spermatozoa could be found in smears taken up to 10 days after coitus, although their number decreased due to vaginal douching and birth control. These findings confirm that coital activity in aging women can persist into the eighth decade of some women's lives.