Biomaterial Database

The validity of the postcoital test. 1990

C S Griffith, and D A Grimes

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles.

Opinion is divided on the clinical usefulness of the postcoital (Sims-Huhner) test in diagnosing infertility. To evaluate the validity of this test, we reviewed the world's literature in English and calculated four indexes of validity for each study with sufficient information. The sensitivity of the test ranged from 0.09 to 0.71, specificity from 0.62 to 1.00, predictive value of abnormal from 0.56 to 1.00, and predictive value of normal from 0.25 to 0.75. In addition to the problem of poor validity, the test suffers from a lack of standard methodology, lack of a uniform definition of normal, and unknown reproducibility. The postcoital test lacks validity as a test for infertility.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007246	Infertility	A reduced or absent capacity to reproduce.	Sterility,Reproductive Sterility,Sterility, Reproductive,Sub-Fertility,Subfertility
D008297	Male		Males
D011237	Predictive Value of Tests	In screening and diagnostic tests, the probability that a person with a positive test is a true positive (i.e., has the disease), is referred to as the predictive value of a positive test; whereas, the predictive value of a negative test is the probability that the person with a negative test does not have the disease. Predictive value is related to the sensitivity and specificity of the test.	Negative Predictive Value,Positive Predictive Value,Predictive Value Of Test,Predictive Values Of Tests,Negative Predictive Values,Positive Predictive Values,Predictive Value, Negative,Predictive Value, Positive
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D003075	Coitus	The sexual union of a male and a female, a term used for human only.	Sexual Intercourse,Coital Frequency,First Intercourse,Coital Frequencies,First Intercourses,Frequencies, Coital,Frequency, Coital,Intercourse, First,Intercourse, Sexual,Intercourses, First
D003955	Diagnostic Tests, Routine	Diagnostic procedures, such as laboratory tests and x-rays, routinely performed on all individuals or specified categories of individuals in a specified situation, e.g., patients being admitted to the hospital. These include routine tests administered to neonates.	Admission Tests, Routine,Hospital Admission Tests,Physical Examination, Preadmission,Routine Diagnostic Tests,Admission Tests, Hospital,Diagnostic Test, Routine,Diagnostic Tests,Examination, Preadmission Physical,Preadmission Physical Examination,Routine Diagnostic Test,Test, Routine Diagnostic,Tests, Diagnostic,Tests, Hospital Admission,Tests, Routine Diagnostic,Admission Test, Hospital,Admission Test, Routine,Diagnostic Test,Examinations, Preadmission Physical,Hospital Admission Test,Physical Examinations, Preadmission,Preadmission Physical Examinations,Routine Admission Test,Routine Admission Tests,Test, Diagnostic,Test, Hospital Admission,Test, Routine Admission,Tests, Routine Admission
D005069	Evaluation Studies as Topic	Works about studies that determine the effectiveness or value of processes, personnel, and equipment, or the material on conducting such studies.	Critique,Evaluation Indexes,Evaluation Methodology,Evaluation Report,Evaluation Research,Methodology, Evaluation,Pre-Post Tests,Qualitative Evaluation,Quantitative Evaluation,Theoretical Effectiveness,Use-Effectiveness,Critiques,Effectiveness, Theoretical,Evaluation Methodologies,Evaluation Reports,Evaluation, Qualitative,Evaluation, Quantitative,Evaluations, Qualitative,Evaluations, Quantitative,Indexes, Evaluation,Methodologies, Evaluation,Pre Post Tests,Pre-Post Test,Qualitative Evaluations,Quantitative Evaluations,Report, Evaluation,Reports, Evaluation,Research, Evaluation,Test, Pre-Post,Tests, Pre-Post,Use Effectiveness
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults