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VAGINAL SMEAR PATTERNS IN WOMEN TAKING ETHYNODIAL DIACETATE AS AN ORAL CONTRACEPTIVE
Author(s) -
Heber K. R.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1970.tb77927.x
Subject(s) - progestogen , vaginal smear , medicine , gynecology , physiology , obstetrics , dentistry , hormone , estrous cycle
Examination of lateral vaginal‐wall smears taken from women using ethynodiol diacetate as an oral contraceptive showed a wide variation in response varying from strongly progestogenic to strongly osstrogenic patterns. Accordingly, given a single smear one could not estimate the dosage of ethynodiol diacetate being used. However, individual women showed changes in their smear pattern when the dosage was altered. Changes associated with a high strength of the progestogen were reduction In the number of superficial cells, reduction in the size of the Intermediate cells, and increase In placard or clumping formation of the intermediate cells. This was manifest quantitatively by a reduction in the pyknotic index in all but two of 105 matched pairs of slides. Pyknotic indices averaged in five‐day groups showed a cyclic pattern and response corresponding to the dosage employed.