Oral contraceptives cause excessive development of G cells in the lower cervix, the crypts producing them being deeper and the bulging "grapes" larger. They may present as a cauliflower-like structure.

While pregnancy counteracts the normal ageing process and actually has a rejuvenating effect on the cervix so that the cervix of a 33-year-old woman becomes like that of a 20-year-old, the Pill, especially after long-term use has a reverse effect - the cervix of a 33-year-old woman on the Pill becomes like that of a 45-year-old and the cervical canal becomes much narrower. The new lower dosage gestagen Pills produce similar effects.

While the present-day Pill contains progestagens in much lower dosage than. previously the fact is that they are much more powerful and they persist longer in the body.

The effect of progestagens in the Pill on the S crypts is to inhibit their activity and thus the biosynthesis of S mucus. Over a long period of Pill activity they undergo attrition from disuse. The ethinyloestradiol and mestranol in the combined Pill also have a more prolonged effect than natural oestrogens, the overall effect of this on the complicated intracellular events being unknown.

Restoration of the S and G crypts to normal on stopping the Pill takes considerable time. In fact the S crypts may be permanently damaged.

In a paper in preparation dealing with microsurgical approaches to cervical infertility (20), it is pointed out that the opinion about post-Pill infertility has, over a period of decades, changed from criticism to acceptance, or at least, to not denying the responsibility of its existence.

The cervix is a very complex organ which can be damaged by exposure to toxic substances such as the synthetic hormones in the Pill. There is extensive literature on side effects of the Pill. However, what is often overlooked is the intended effects of the Pill. The Pill deliberately assaults the physiology of female reproduction. In such an important area as human reproduction it is no wonder Nature hits back.

Women, before consenting to take the Pill, should be aware of what the medication sets out to do. Its primary mode of action is sterilizing by inhibiting the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and thus preventing the initiation of events leading to ovulation. With the lower dose Pill now in widespread use, especially if a dose or two is missed, then breakthrough ovulation may occur. The secondary action of the Pill is to stimulate the G mucus secretary cells, presenting a contraceptive barrier to sperm. Finally the progestagen content of the Pill, whether the combined version or the progestagen only (the MiniPill) type results in an "out of phase" endometrium, which renders implantation (nidation) of the blastocyst less likely. This is an abortifacient action. These two latter effects also result fom Norplant progestagen implants or progestagen impregnated pessaries.

Many women are unaware of this ability of progestagens to induce early abortions. The "morning after" Pill, which consists of two double doses of the Pill 12 hours apart (often inducing nausea and vomiting, the two double doses being of toxic proportions) acts by inducing a withdrawal bleed. In other words the endometrium is shed, as in menstruation, leaving the embryo nowhere to implant if conception occurs. "Post-coital contraception" as this is called is thus not contraception at all but a process for initiating very early abortion.

For a woman who does not understand the process she is just "seeing her period ear1y". The Pill, of course, results in a similar withdrawal bleed, which women are led to believe is a natural period, which it is not. It is induced by ceasing the course of the Pill. Because the bleed usually occurs regularly it is reassuring, merely "regulating the periods", which is nonsense. The normal menstrual cycle is obliterated by the Pill. The Mini Pill (progestagen only) is taken continually and often results in quite irregular bleeding. All in all, as already pointed out, oral contraceptive medication (or Noplant implants) represents a gross interference with the normal female physiology of reproduction.

It is apparent from the preceding presentation that Professor Odeblad's work does not give support for the use of the Pill. On the other hand, events normally occurring in the cervix regarding cellular functions, mucus structure and secretion patterns give full support for the Ovulation Method of Natural Family Planning developed by Drs. John and Evelyn Billings. In fact, nothing has come out which contradicts the rules or recommendations for using the Billings Ovulation Method (BOM).

There are groups of women who encounter difficulties in learning and applying the BOM, especially difficulty in achieving pregnancy because of a poor mucus symptom. They require extended in-depth teaching and assessment of their charts. The groups include women just coming off the Pill, women who have had different kinds f medication such as chemotherapy for malignant disease, women with continuous cervico-vaginal discharge (which may also be a post-Pill phenomenon), women with Cystic Fibrosis, Down's Syndrome and other hereditary diseases. It is therefore important that basic research on the fundamental biological mechanisms behind the mucus secretary patterns and their ranges of variations can continue, so that the BOM can be safely extended to more women and couples who want to use Natural Family Planning.

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6 .Odeblad, E. (1959). Discussion to the preceding paper, Acta Obstet.Gynecol. Scand. 39, Suppl. 1, 126-7.

7. Odeblad, E. (1966). Micro-NMR in high permanent magnetic fields. Acta Obstet. Gynecol. Scand. 45, Suppl. 2.

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10. Odeblad, E. (1978). Cervical factors. In "Female lnfertility". Ed. P. J. Keller. [Karger: Basel Switzerland.] Contrib. Gynecol. Obstet 4: 132-42.

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13. Odeblad, E. (1994a). The discovery of different types of cervical mucus and the Billings ovulation Method. Bulletin of the Natural Family Planning Council of Victoria, 21(3), 3-35.

14. Odeblad, E. (I 994b). The spread-out technique, advantages, pitfalls, interpretation. In IV Symp. Int. sobre Regulacion Natural del la Fertilidad, Oct. 68, 1994, pp 295-303. [Colegio Oficial de Medicos, Barcelona].

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16. Odeblad, E. (1997). Cervical mucus and their functions. J. Irish Colleges of Physicians & Surgeons. 26, 27 32.

17. Odeblad, E. (1998). Some possible mechanisms involved in the sperm selection processes in the cervix. Unpublished work.

18. Odebld, E., and Bryhn., U. (1957). Proton magnetic resonance of human cervical mucus during the menstrual cycle. Acta Radiol. 47, 315-20.

19. Odeblad, E.,and Menarguez, M. (1997). Cell-to-cell communication. NFP Quarterly, Fall-winter, p. 3.

20. Odeblad, E., and Menarguez, M. (1998, to be published).Biologia molecular y cellular y la micro-curugia reconstructiva del cuello.

21. Odeblad, E., Menarguez, M., Slettvoll, J., and Temprano, H. (1996). How to study the cervical secretory system and its role in natural family planning. Bulletin of the Ovulation Method Research & Reference Centre of Australia. 23 (2), 3-20.

22. Odeblad, E., Ingleman-Sundberg, A., Hallstrom, L., Hoglund, A., Leppanen, U., Lisspers, K., Perenyi, E., Rudolfsson-Asberg, K., Sahlin, K., Lindstrom, C., Sjostrom, C., Strandberg, L., and Wikstrom, L. (1983).The biophysical properties of the cervical vaginal secretions. Int. Rev. Natural Family Planning. 7 (1), 1-56.

23. Temprano, H., et al. (1994). Tipos de moco cervical e identificacion de elementos al microscopio electronico de barrido. Resultados preliminares. Proc. IV Sym. Int. sobre Regulacion Natural de la Fertilidad, October 6-8, 1994. pp 304-5 [Colegio Oficial de Medicos, Barcelona].