Effect of aspirin on the luteal phase of human menstrual cycle

The effect of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) on the luteal phase length and function was studied in ten normal cycling women. They received three grams daily for twenty days starting from the fifth day of the cycle. Urinary pregnanediol-3 alpha-glucuronide (Pg-diol- 3G ) and luteinising hormone (LH) were assayed in daily early morning urine samples together with daily vaginal smear for cytohormonal evaluation. The excretion profile of Pg-diol- 3G and LH of another group of ten normal women were taken as controls. Aspirin caused shortening of both cycle length and luteal phase duration. Available evidence suggests the presence of corpus luteum deficiency in the treated cycles.