What is an ovulation kit?

An ovulation test strip (or ovulation predictor kit, also known as an OPC) can help you identify your most fertile days during your monthly cycle—that is, the day or two leading up to ovulation when sex (or insemination) is most likely to lead to pregnancy. . It can be a quick and easy way to predict when you will ovulate.

You don’t have to schedule sex to get pregnant. Sex every few days during the middle two weeks of the cycle will usually do the job. But you might want to be more strategic and determine your most fertile days if:

• You and your partner have busy schedules or already have children and it is not feasible to have sex that often.
• You are trying to get pregnant through insemination.
• You have irregular cycles that make it difficult to find your fertile window.
• You have had difficulty conceiving after several months of trying.

How do ovulation test strips work?

There are two types of ovulation predictor kits:

OPK based on urine

They test your urine for an increase in luteinizing hormone (LH). This usually happens a day and a half before ovulation. A small amount of LH is always present in your blood and urine, but this level will increase by about two to five times in the days before ovulation.

The test stick usually shows a positive result about 24 to 36 hours before the egg is released, so plan to have sex (or get fertilized) during that time if you want to increase your chances of pregnancy.

Accessories for spitting fern

Fern saliva kits help you determine when ovulation is imminent by showing changes in your saliva. As estrogen levels rise in the days before ovulation, the salt content of saliva increases.

If you place a drop of saliva on a slide, the salt may dry and crystallize into a fern-like pattern that you may be able to see with a pocket portable microscope. The fern pattern should indicate that you will ovulate within the next few days (although you may continue to see the fern pattern for up to two days after ovulation).

What does a positive ovulation test mean?

A positive result means you’re likely to ovulate in the next 24 to 36 hours, so if you’re trying to get pregnant, try to have more sex in the next few days (or schedule an insemination as soon as possible, if that’s the approach you’re taking).

However, a positive test result is not a guarantee, and all test kits have different parameters for showing a positive result. Make sure you read the instructions for your individual kit and know how to interpret the results.

“If you’ve used COCs and haven’t gotten pregnant, see a fertility specialist within a year, or within 6 months if you’re over 35,” says Tarun Jain, MD, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist (REI). and a member of the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board. “Keep in mind that it can sometimes take several months to get an appointment, so ask your gynecologist for an early referral.”

How accurate are ovulation kits?

Urine-based LH tests are more accurate than saliva, but they are not foolproof. Follow the instructions on your kit carefully for the most accurate results. Be sure to use the test at the recommended time of day and read the results within the specified time frame.

Also, keep in mind that because LH can rise with or without the release of an egg, the tests can’t tell you for sure if you’ve ovulated.

Most importantly, don’t use these kits to try avoid pregnancy, because you won’t know exactly when you ovulated or when your fertile window is closed for that cycle.

Fern saliva tests are less accurate than urine tests. Fertility can occur as early as six days before ovulation, as well as at other times in your menstrual cycle, especially if you are taking the fertility drug Clomid (clomiphene).

It can also be difficult to tell if peppering has occurred on the test slide. If you have low vision, spitting fern kits may not be the best method for you.

Taking Clomid or medications that contain human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or LH can affect the results of both saliva and urine-based tests. Ask your doctor if you need to stop taking certain medications before using these tests.

Finally, OPK is not likely to be accurate for women who are close to menopause or have polycystic ovary syndrome.

How to use ovulation kits

First of all, always read and follow the instructions that come with the kit you choose.

Whichever kit you use, you’ll need to figure out which day of your cycle to start testing. Some kits suggest counting down 18 days from the day you expect your next period. So, if you have a 28-day cycle, start testing on day 10 (10 days after your period starts) and continue until you get a positive result.

Regarding using the kit and reading the test results, the steps will differ depending on whether you are using a urine- or saliva-based OPK.

Use of urine-based OPK

Urine-based OPKs provide five to 20 days’ worth of test sticks. Once a day, hold the test stick in a stream of urine or dip the end of the stick into the urine you have collected in a cup. Colored bands or symbols appearing on the test stick indicate whether an LH surge is occurring.

Try to collect your urine around the same time each day, but follow the instructions on your kit for best results.

Do not drink a lot of fluids for two hours before the test. Too much fluid dilutes your urine, which could make it harder to detect an increase.

Read the results within 10 minutes. A positive result will not disappear, but some negative results may later show a faint second band of color that would be misleading.

Using fern saliva OPK

Use your finger or lick the slide to put some of your saliva on the slide. Do this first thing in the morning, before you eat or drink anything. Make sure there are no air bubbles in the sample.

Wait for the saliva to dry, then use a microscope to see if there are any ferns. Compare your slide with the examples in the instructions to tell how to identify a fern.

Where to get ovulation kits

You can buy kits online as well as over the counter in most drugstores and supermarkets (they are usually near the pregnancy tests).

The most challenging thing about getting ovulation kits is affording them. Urine-based OPCs cost between $20 and $50 and contain between five and 20 test strips. Most brands offer the same level of reliability, so choose the one that gives you the most test sticks for the least amount of money.

Once you detect your increase, you can stop testing for that cycle and save any unused test strips for the next month (unless you get pregnant, of course).

Fern saliva OPKs may be a better value. After an initial investment of about $30 for a microscope, you should be able to test again and again. If you take a long time to get pregnant, you may need to replace the kit with a new one after about two years, depending on the brand.