After menstruation there are usually some days of dryness in the genital parts outside the vagina, and green stamps are used for the record. G mucus and minimal quantities of F mucus and of vaginal fluid are produced (Figure 15). They are viscous and do not flow rapidly in the vagina. Active reabsorption takes place in the pockets of Shaw and all factors contribute to a sensation of dryness. Sometimes, in the young woman, F mucus is very abundant and as the reabsorption processes have not yet developed a crumbly or sticky sensation of dryness is felt and yellow stamps are used. In the older woman a similar situation prevails, since reabsorption is diminished after the menopause. Not only F mucus but also vaginal contributions lead to the use of yellow stamps. The term "Basic Infertile Pattern" is used by Billings et al. (1989) for the situation during the first infertile phase before follicle maturation begins and in other situations with absent or delayed follicular growth. On p. 21 of that publication it is stated that the Basic Infertile Pattern may be either (i) dry days, indicated by green stamps, (ii) an unchanging continuous mucus pattern (yellow stamps), or (iii) a combined pattern (green stamps for dry days, yellow stamps for unchanging, continuous mucus days). In that same publication (Odeblad 1989) some considerations are given on the combined role of the vagina and the cervix for vaginal discharge. In a forthcoming paper these considerations will be extended in the light of the new discoveries of the P mucus, the mucolytic factor, the F mucus and B secretion.

Figure 15. Cycle of a high-school student, a virgin 15 years of age. She suffered a slight haemorrhage and treatment with trenexamic acid (trans-4-aminoethyl-cyclohexane carboxylic acid) remedied the problem. She had been charting for several years. Analyses of types of mucus (S, L, G, P, F) on a microscope slide are given. Day of ovulation was determined by repeated ovarian palpation. This cycle has a short mucus phase (5 days) but was within normal limits (5 - 10 days) as indicated in Table 3. Stamp colours r, red; y, yellow; g, green; b, white stamp with baby imprint (mucus days); x = Peak day; days 1 and 2 after peak, yellow stamp with baby imprint; day 3 after peak, green stamp with baby imprint. Sensation: d, dry; w, wet; s, sticky; l, lubricative; vl, very lubricative.