Ovulation Tests Instructions
Ovulation tests can help women who are trying to get pregnant determine when they are most fertile. Typically, women are only fertile for about two days each month so timing is important when trying to conceive. Ovulation kits may have to be used for many months before pregnancy occurs. A woman who has not conceived within one year should consult a doctor about possible problems interfering with conception.
How Ovulation Tests Work
Ovulation tests are designed to detect the luteinizing hormone present in the urine, which indicates that a women is fertile. The luteinizing hormone is released 24 to 36 hours before an egg is released. Most ovulation test kits contain seven tests so that a woman will have enough to use during the week she suspects that ovulation may occur.
When Ovulation Tests Should Be Used
In order to use an ovulation predictor kit effectively, a woman must first determine the length of her menstrual cycle by counting how many days occur between the start of each menstrual cycle. If cycle length varies, use the average. The average cycle length is 28 days. A women with a 28 day cycle would start using ovulation tests daily beginning on day 11 of her cycle. A chart for determining testing days is available on the First Response web site. The test can be performed at any time of the day, but should be done at about the same time each subsequent day.
Once the ovulation tests indicates that the luteinizing hormone is present, a woman can plan intercourse during the next 24 to 36 hours following the positive test.
How Ovulation Tests Should Be Used
These instructions are specific to the First Response ovulation kit. The ovulation testing stick should be removed from the package. The test should be held in one hand with the results window facing away from you. The absorbent tip should be held in the urine stream for 5 seconds. An alternative method is to collect urine in a cup and then hold the absorbent tip in the urine for 5 seconds. The results can be read after five minutes. One pink line indicates that no luteinizing hormone was not detected; two pink lines indicates that the luteinizing hormone was detected and that intercourse should be planned promptly to increase the chances of pregnancy.
If the test does not indicated the presence of the luteinizing hormone, then another test should be done the next day and so on until the luteinizing hormone is detected. Occasionally, no luteinizing hormone will be detected within a time period of seven days and another kit will need to used to continue the detection process.
