There are many women all over the world today who are having difficulties in achieving pregnancy. While there are a lot of ovulation tests being offered by medical institutions, these tests can be very costly for women with a meager budget. Thankfully, there are a number of ovulation predictor test kits that have been developed, which would enable couples to determine when it is the right time for them to perform sexual intercourse in order to have a baby.
What are Ovulation Predictor Kits?
An ovulation predictor kit is actually a test to detect the presence of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the urine.
What does luteinizing hormone have to do with ovulation? Days prior to ovulation, a woman will experience a sudden increase in their levels of luteinizing hormone. On average, actual ovulation takes place 36 hours after the LH surge. However, doctors allot a wider window of 24 to 48 hours. Timing sexual intercourse during this period increases a woman’s chance of getting pregnant.
How Do You Use Ovulation Predictor Kits?
There are actually two kinds of ovulation predictor kits. Standard kits utilize test strips – much like the test strips for pregnancy – which are dipped in urine for 5 to 20 seconds. A positive result will show a result line that is the same color or darker than the reference line.
On the other hand, digital ovulation predictor kits utilize an electronic test stick which is first pointed into the urine stream for 5 to 7 seconds. After wiping off the stick, it is laid aside. After 20 to 40 seconds, a “Test Ready” light flashes on to indicate that the test is being performed. After 3 minutes, the results will be displayed. If the blank circle lights up, this means no LH surge was detected. However, if the smiley face lights up, the LH surge has been detected, meaning that the couple should have sex within the next 48 hours.
The ovulation predictor kit accuracy has been pegged at over 99 percent, based on various laboratory trials. However, certain factors can affect the accuracy of results.
One common cause of false positive and/or false negative results is the timing of the test during a woman’s cycle. Many kit manufacturers provide an online ovulation calculator which will enable women to determine when best to perform the test based on the length of their cycle. Women who are also taking Clomid and injectable fertility drugs containing LH (like Humegon, Repronex and Pergonal) can get false positive results. For women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS ovulation predictor kits may give misleading results because of high LH levels.
Most fertility specialists recommend that ovulation predictor kits be used together with basal body temperature monitoring and/or ultrasound.
Effective Ovulation Predictor Kits
Because there are many kits in the market today, most women rely on ovulation predictor kits reviews to determine which tests would best meet their needs. Kits that have been getting consistent positive reviews include the extensive line of Clear Blue Ovulation Predictor Kits (which includes the Clear Blue Easy Digital Ovulation Test) and the First Response Ovulation Kit. Ovulator predictor kits from Boots have garnered mixed reviews because of the difficulty in interpreting the results.
To determine which ovulation predictor kit is best for your needs, doctors recommend that you try out a few kits before settling on a product that produces the most accurate results for you.
