Response of the cervical factor to combined treatment with clomiphene and ethinyl-oestradiol

Combined clomiphene + ethinyl-oestradiol therapy was applied to 103 women with functional infertility. Ovulatory responses were obtained with clomiphene in a number of cases, but no pregnancy ensued. Ethinyl-oestradiol was then administered in low doses together with clomiphene over 3 cycles until the day before the expected date of ovulation. This resulted in a further increase in the number of ovulatory cycles, and one-third of the women had become pregnant. Comparing the two types of treatment on the basis of quality, quantity and sperm-penetration of the cervical mucus, low doses of oestradiol were found to affect these parameters favourably. If the treatment is unsuccessful, i.e. if the parameters of mucus or of the conditions of penetration fail to respond, further investigations are required to find out whether a permanent damage to the cervical epithelium or some penetration disorder of immunological origin is responsible for the infertility.