Presence of spermatozoa in cervicovaginal smears from young and old women

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Abstract
Routine cervico-vaginal (Papanicolaou) smears from 1239 women of ages 16-92 were examined retrospectively for spermatozoa. The prevalence of spermatozoa in cervico-vaginal smears was highest (25%) in the 20-24 yr age group, and fell gradually to 2% in the 70-79 yr age group. The oldest woman in the study to have spermatozoa in the smear was 76 yr old. In order to evaluate persistence of spermatozoa in the lower genital tracts of women, 697 smears were prepared from women who had volunteered the time of last birth control methods and douching practices. Spermatozoa could be found in smears taken up to 10 days after coitus, although their number decreased due to vaginal douching and birth control. Coital activity in aging women can persist into the 8th decade of life.