ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Page Count: 7

Vaginal Fluid Zinc Concentration as a Marker for Intercourse
Rogers, C
Clinical instructor and clinical biochenist, Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, CA

Bernstein, G
Professor and associate professor, Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, CA

Endahl, G
Clinical instructor and clinical biochenist, Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, CA

Nakamura, R
Professor and associate professor, Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, CA

Bhoopat, T
Visiting scholar, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang-Mai University,

(Received 13 March 1987; accepted 8 May 1987)

Abstract

Zinc is present in high concentration in semen, but in low concentration in vaginal fluid. We evaluated vaginal zinc levels as a marker for intercourse by measuring precoital (>11 h after intercourse) or postcoital (<5 h after intercourse) zinc and acid phosphatase levels in 26 specimens of vaginal fluid from 18 women.

The approximate 95% reference range for zinc in precoital vaginal fluid was 1.2 to 15 μg/mL (mean 4.5), and in postcoital vaginal fluid 4.0 to 135 μg/mL (mean 24). There is an overlap between the precoital and postcoital reference ranges. Provided that the vaginal fluid zinc level is less than approximately 4.0 μg/mL or greater than approximately 15 μg/mL, vaginal fluid zinc concentration may be useful as an indicator of intercourse.

Keywords:
pathology and biology, coitus, zinc, phosphatases

Paper ID: JFS12438J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS12438J
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