The Post Coital Test involves a sampling of your cervical mucus between four to ten hours after you and your partner have intercourse, to determine whether the mucus in your cervix is "hostile" to is sperm.

With this particular test - timing is everything, since only mucus during your ovulation period isn't usually deemed hostile. This, of course, involves a visit to your physician so a sample of your mucus can be taken and be examined for the evidence of live sperm.

If you are using an ovulation predictor kit, this kit will be the determining factor as to when you will have intercourse. Remember, to have sex that MORNING ,and do not use any lubricants, douche - or bathe (a shower is acceptable) and be sure and contact your physician to schedule a time to come in after intercourse.

Once in the doctors office, you will be examined with a spectulum with a small amount of cervical mucus being withdrawn from your cervix. This will then be examined under a microscope and the doctor will be looking for some of the following characteristics:

1. Ferning - When the cervical mucus dries on a microscope slide, it should take on the appearance of ferns. This assures that the mucus has been exposed to adequate levels of estrogen without any exposure to progesterone. In other words, that the timing is correct.

2. Amount - Cervical mucus production normally increases dramatically just prior to ovulation.

3. Clarity - It should be very clear, almost watery.

4. Cellularity - There should be relatively few cells present, other than sperm.

5. Spinnbarkeit - This is the stretchiness of the cervical mucus. It should be almost elastic and may stretch 10 cms or more.

If your results are poor after the post coital test, there may be several reasons: