Ovulation Tests
A pregnancy begins with conception. A child is conceived when the male sperm successfully fertilises the female egg. Successful fertilisation is most likely during a 24-hour period following the LH surge. Since this window is usually only open once a month and for a short period of time, being able to predict the LH surge is very helpful when trying to become pregnant. We have selected these ovulation tests for their price, accuracy and reliability. These tests look for the presence of LH in urine.
How does a home ovulation test work and what is the LH surge?
When a woman is about to ovulate, her body releases a large amount of a hormone called LH (Luteinising Hormone). LH is always present in your urine but the levels increase (surge) in the middle of your cycle, causing you to release an egg from the ovary. This process is called ovulation. If the LH surge is present, ovulation is likely to occur in the next 12 to 36 hours. Our ovulation tests detect the LH surge by measuring the level of LH in urine.
Once ovulation has taken place the level of Progesterone increases and this causes the basal body temperature to rise.
When should I do the test?
To determine when to begin testing, you need to work out the length of your menstrual cycle. The length of your cycle is from the first day of your period to the last day before your next period starts (count the first day of bleeding as day 1). Calculate what the usual length of your menstrual cycle has been the last few months. Once you have worked out the average length of your cycle you can refer to the chart that is included with our tests which clearly shows on which day of your menstrual cycle you should begin testing.
Why should I avoid testing first thing in the morning?
You should avoid testing your urine first thing in the morning as LH is synthesized in your body early in the morning. It will not show up in your urine until later in the day.
Once I receive a positive result, when is the best time to have intercourse?
Ovulation usually follows the start of the LH surge within 24-36 hours. This is the time when you are at your most fertile, therefore you should have intercourse during this time.
How long will it take before I can read the result?
A positive result can often be read in under 40 seconds but to confirm a negative result (no test line or the test line is much fainter than the control line) you should wait the full 10 minutes.
What happens if after using the tests provided I have still not detected my LH surge?
Most women with regular cycles will detect their LH Surge in 5 days or under. However, if you have irregular cycles you may need to test for longer and may require additional ovulation tests to detect your LH Surge. Also see the section below regarding different sensitivities of our ovulation tests.
I have recently come off the contraceptive pill. Will this affect my result?
As the pill disrupts your natural hormone balance it may take a few months for your periods to return to normal. You may want to wait until you have had 2 normal periods before starting to use ovulation tests. Please be aware that pregnancy and breastfeeding can affect the results of any ovulation test.
Will alcohol or other common medications affect the results of this test?
No, but you should consult your doctor if you are taking any hormonal treatments.
Can I use the ovulation test for contraception?
No, the test is not designed to prevent conception. As sperm can survive for 72 hours you might still become pregnant if you had intercourse before you detected your LH Surge and also because some woman can and do ovulate more than once in the same cycle.
I had a positive result for the LH surge and had sexual intercourse during this period so why have I not become pregnant?
There are many factors that can affect your fertility. It can take many healthy couples months to achieve pregnancy. You may need to use these tests for a few months before pregnancy occurs. If after 6 months of trying you have still not become pregnant, you should visit your doctor for advice.
What is the "fertility pill" and how does it affect ovulation tests?
Clomid/Serophene are brand names for a drug known as Clomiphene citrate - commonly referred to as the "fertility pill". Letrozole is a very similar drug and works in exactly the same way. They are the most popular and most prescribed drugs for women who are not ovulating at all, have PCOS or suffer from irregular periods. They have proved very successful with 60-80% of women ovulating normally when taking the drugs and with 50% of those on these drugs going on to get pregnant. They have few side effects and these are generally minor - your doctor can tell you more.
All these drugs are taken for 5 days (days 3-7 or 5-9 of your cycle) and are essentially a boost to your fertility hormones including LH. For this reason, if you are on any of these drugs, you should start to use these highest sensitivity (20mIU) ovulation tests 3 days after finishing the drugs i.e. on day 10 or day 12 onwards as before this you could get a false result.
- Easy to read results
- Each test is individually foil-wrapped
- The tests are 99%+ accurate and results can often be read in less than 30 seconds
- Tests are discreetly packaged with no indication as to contents and marked "Private and Confidential"
- CE and FDA Marked for Home
- Self Testing Simple, One Step easy-to-use system
Urine Specimen Collection Bags
Features and Benefits
- Holds approximately 100ml of liquid
- Urine samples can help to indicate an underlying health problem
- The specimen bag comes with a grip seal to stop any leakage
- The specimen urine sample bag can be used for the testing of urine samples for drug, pregnancy, ovulation and infection tests.