title: Vaginal fluid zinc concentration as a marker for intercourse.
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 (greater than 11 h after intercourse) or postcoital (less than 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 micrograms/mL (mean 4.5), and in postcoital vaginal fluid 4.0 to 135 micrograms/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 micrograms/mL or greater than approximately 15 micrograms/mL, vaginal fluid zinc concentration may be useful as an indicator of intercourse.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Endahl
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bhoopat
mesh_terms: D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000032:analysis; D000328:Adult; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000032:analysis*; D003075:Coitus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014621:Vagina; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D015032:Zinc