spinnbarkeit /spin″bärkīt, shpin″-/ [Ger, threadability] , the clear slippery elastic consistency characteristic of cervical mucus during ovulation. The consistency is that of an uncooked egg white, and it is a valuable sign of the peak fertile period in a woman’s menstrual cycle. Observation of spinnbarkeit is useful in natural methods of family planning, in the clinical evaluation of infertility, and in discovering the optimal time for artificial insemination. Spinnbarkeit may be evaluated by the length to which a string of mucus can be drawn between the fingers before breaking. See also ovulation method of family planning.
