The effects of clomiphene citrate and cyclofenil on cervical mucus volume and receptivity over the periovulatory period.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effects of clomiphene citrate (CC) and cyclofenil on cervical mucus (CM) volume and receptivity sampled serially over the periovulatory period.

DESIGN

Using prospective luteinizing hormone (LH) timing CM volume and receptivity were compared in standard CC and cyclofenil-stimulated cycles using normal ovulatory cycles as controls.

LOCATION

The Donor Insemination Unit at the University Research Clinic, Sheffield, United Kingdom.

PATIENTS

Twenty anovulatory patients and 10 normally ovulating patients, all of whom were participating in a treatment cycle of donor insemination.

INTERVENTIONS

The 20 anovulatory patients were allocated at random into two groups: group 1 was administered 50 mg of CC on days 2 to 6 of the menstrual cycle; group 2 was administered 400 mg of cyclofenil on days 3 to 12 of the menstrual cycle. All the patients were given a single treatment of donor insemination 24 to 36 hours after the onset of the LH surge.

RESULTS

Clomiphene citrate and cyclofenil were shown to exert differential impacts on CM quantity and quality. In terms of quantity, the CC patients produced significantly lower volumes of CM than the cyclofenil patients and controls. In terms of quality, the CC patients and controls produced CM of similar receptivity, whereas the cyclofenil patients produced CM that was significantly more receptive to sperm than both the CC patients and controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Neither CC nor cyclofenil exerted a detrimental impact on CM quality throughout the periovulatory period.