THE USE OF SOME VAGINAL FLUID AND SEMINAL ENZYMES IN DETECTING ALLEGED FEMALE INFIDELITY

Background of Study

The term infidelity refers to the act of being unfaithful to a spouse or other partner. Infidelity can be defined in a myriad of ways, including behaviors such as having an affair, cheating, sexual intercourse, kissing, emotional connections beyond friendships and pornography use (Blow & Hartnett, 2005). Female infidelity is act of having a sexual or romantic relationship with someone’s other than one’s husband. Infidelity has been shown to have severe negative effects on a marriage such as depression and divorce (Amato& Previti, 2003). Infidelity is not restricted only to married couple but to people in relationships.

Semen, also known as seminal fluid is a blend of cells, sperm and a combination of inorganic and organic substances. It is very dense and gelatinous material which is produced in males by seminal vesicle, prostate and Cowper’s glands (Puga et al., 2018). An average male ejaculate approximately 3.5 ml of seminal fluid. Every milliliter can generate around 10-50 million sperm cells. These figures may differ with the age of the male and may be adversely affected by medical conditions, genetic history, diet, smoking habits and the use of illegal drugs (Puma and Singh, 2018).

Traces of sperm cells retrieved on clothing require challenges as to the explanation of such findings and such findings are useful in rape cases (Viner, Kagan, & Johnson, 2014). The way of discharge may not be readily identified, clothing may have been washed, or the findings may not be related to the incidence under investigation (Kobus, Silenieks, & Scharnberg, 2002).

Seminal plasma is a mixture of contents from the testes, epididymides and accessory sex glands. The sperm concentration is highest in the first few jets or fractions of the ejaculate and the composition of seminal plasma varies between these fractions because accessory gland secretions are released in a specific order. Semen has a very high buffering capacity, much higher than that of most other fluids in the body. The pH of semen is maintained near neutral in the acidic vaginal environment providing the sperm with the opportunity of entering the neutral pH of the cervical mucus (Banjoko and Adeseolu, 2013).

There are enzymes present in the semen and they include Acid phosphatase, Prostate Specific Antigen. These enzymes are notably important in carrying out forensic experiments used in solving infidelity cases, rape cases. They are used to identify, confirm or to examine for the presence of semen from the following materials; outer garments, inner garments (underwear), beddings, tampoons, diapers (for those that assault children sexually) , condoms (epithelial cells from victim and semen from the offender) . Although Acid phosphatase is present in large amounts in seminal fluid, it is not unique to the prostate gland and can be found in other biological fluids including vaginal secretions. It is therefore considered as a presumptive chemical test for the presence of semen and semen must be confirmed by other means. Prostate Specific Antigen is a protein found in semen only. Prostate Specific Antigen has been validated as a reliable marker of semen exposure in studies of vaginal specimens (Macaluso & Lawson, 1999; Akers et al., 1999; Lawson & Macaluso, 1998; Bloom et al., 1998). Prostate Specific Antigen is detectable in vasectomized, oligospermic, and aspermic male (Hochmeister et al., 1999). Therefore, it is considered as one of the most important and confirmatory method for detecting the presence of semen.

Other enzymes have been reported in spermatozoa and seminal plasma but few systematic studies have been made of their distribution between the two fractions of semen or of their origin (Mann et al., 1964).

Vaginal fluid, also known as vaginal discharge is a mixture of liquid, cells, and bacteria that lubricate and protect the vagina (Beckmann et al ., 2014). It is a clear, white or off white fluid that comes out of the vagina (Beckmann et al., 2014). It is produced by the vagina, uterus, and cervix. The composition, amount, and quality of discharge varies between individuals and can vary throughout the menstrual cycle and throughout the stages of sexual reproductive development (Hacker & Neville, 2016).

Due to the growing prevalence and negative effects of infidelity, it is important for both clinicians and researchers to understand its occurrence. Measurement of objective markers of semen exposure, rather than reliance on self-reported behavior or mechanical failure of barrier methods, can improve the accuracy of studies designed to evaluate alleged female infidelity efficacy. Detection of seminal enzymes in vaginal secretions provides objective evidence of a woman’s recent exposure to semen.