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Using Ovulation Tests to Predict Fertility
Using Ovulation Tests to Predict Fertility
Ovulation tests work by detecting luteinizing hormone (LH). Just preceding ovulation, women experience an "LH surge" - a sudden, dramatic, and brief rise in the level of luteinizing hormone. Ovulation tests detect this LH surge, allowing you to accurately predict when you will ovulate. A positive result on an ovulation test means that the woman will most likely become fertile over the next three days - with peak fertility at 36 hours following the LH surge.
Luteinizing Hormone, the LH Surge, and Ovulation
At the beginning of the menstrual cycle, the body begins to produce follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). FSH facilitates the formation of a follicle on one of the ovaries. The follicle contains and nurtures the egg. When a follicle has adequately matured, a surge of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) causes the follicle to burst and release the egg into the fallopian tube - the moment of ovulation.
Throughout the menstrual cycle, a small amount of LH is produced - but during the middle of the cycle LH briefly and dramatically increases. Elevated quantities of luteinizing hormone facilitate ovulation - and OPKs detect this LH surge through anti-LH antibodies contained in the sensitive testing membrane of the test.
The LH surge is, alas, very brief - and in order to detect the LH surge, a woman needs to test at the right time of the month - and the right time of day. As LH is produced by the body in the morning, mid-afternoon is considered the ideal time to test.
Once the LH surge has been detected, successful fertilization is most likely to take place one to three days following the LH surge - with peak fertility at 36 hours post-LH surge. Since this ovulation "window" only opens once per month (and the unfertilized egg has a short 24-hour life-span) predicting ovulation accurately is very helpful when trying to become pregnant. Below, you will find information on getting the most out of your ovulation tests (and visit our Ovulation Test FAQ for more testing tips).
Advanced Testing Tips and Facts: Answering Common Questions about OPKs
Using OPKs and Interpreting Ovulation Test Results
Ovulation tests come in two formats: test strips and midstream tests. To use the ovulation test strip, you fill a container with urine and hold the test strip in the container for several seconds. With midstream tests, you hold the test in your stream of urine. Both test formats are equally reliable. Always read ovulation test kit instructions carefully.
With most home ovulation testing products, the "reaction time" of the test is five minutes. At five minutes, you can interpret the tests. All tests have a "control" color band (or color line) that indicates whether the test is working or not. Also, the control band provides a color/intensity baseline by which to interpret the "test" band results. The "test" color band indicates a positive or negative result (please refer to the graphic below).
A positive result (indicating an LH Surge) is indicated by a test band that is of equal or greater intensity (equal or darker) than the control band. A negative result for the LH Surge is indicated when the test band is of lesser intensity (lighter) than the control band or cannot be seen. A negative result means the LH level of the urine sample is at or near its normal level and that the LH surge is not in progress. Remember, there is always some quantity of LH in your system, so a light color band in the test region is NOT an indicator of a positive result.
How do I Determine when to Begin Testing?
To determine when to start testing, you must first do a little calculating. Use the Cycle Chart below to figure out when to begin testing for your LH surge.
First, determine the average length of your menstrual cycle. The length of the menstrual cycle is the number of days from the first day of menstrual bleeding to the day before bleeding begins on the next period. Determine the usual length of the menstrual cycle over the last few months. Then, refer to the Cycle Chart to determine on which day of the menstrual cycle to begin testing.
| Your Cycle Length |
Day to Begin Testing |
| 21 days | Day 5 |
| 22 days | Day 6 |
| 23 days | Day 7 |
| 24 days | Day 8 |
| 25 days | Day 9 |
| 26 days | Day 10 |
| 27 days | Day 11 |
| 28 days | Day 12 |
| 29 days | Day 13 |
| 30 days | Day 14 |
| 31 days | Day 15 |
| 32 days | Day 16 |
| 33 days | Day 17 |
| 34 days | Day 18 |
| 35 days | Day 19 |
| 36 days | Day 20 |
| 37 days | Day 21 |
| 38 days | Day 22 |
| 39 days | Day 23 |
Read More About:
> Ovulation Test FAQ: Testing Tips and Tricks
> Saliva Based Ovulation Predictors
> Ovulation FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About Ovulation
> Pregnancy Testing
> OvaCue Product Review
Comments
ok i used test got a postive three days in a row is that normal
The LH surge/test line should be EQUAL to or DARKER than the control line for ovulation to be taking place. If the control line is darker than the surge it is a negative.
Partner**
Okay, so I have been wanting to get pregnant for 10 and a half months now, but my Parker just days ago decided that we could actually start trying!
anyway, I'm a little confused on the ovulation kits. Is it positive when both lines are the same color and negative if there is only one line? Ooooor is it positive whenever there is two lines no matter the colors? Please help! Much appreciation! <3
If you don't know if you are ovulating and LH sticks do not show positive during the month, talk to your gyn. They can do a blood test later in your cycle to test hormone levels, and they can tell you whether or not you ovulated. could be that you are testing at the wrong time of day. Start testing afternoon and evenings around 8pm.
My OPT's never lined up exactly right...the line got darker around ovulation but not dark enough for a positive. Figured out that my surge is happening at 8pm. the past four months I've tested at 8pm and I got positives. FYI. May be good to test afternoon and evening.
For the person on clomid. When I take clomid days 3-7, I always ovulate in the early morning of Day 14. Got pregnant when I had sex on the evenings of Day 11 and 13.
For the person asking if she should have sex at 36 hours after the surge. No, ovulation could happen sooner than that. The SPERM should be there at hours 24-36. Sperm lives a couple of days, and it is best to have sex every other day so the sperm have time to regenerate. So I would have sex immediately upon the surge (or earlier), and then 36 hours later. It is best to just have sex every other day around the time of ovulation so sperm is always there. If you ovulate between Days 13-15, then I would have sex on day 11, 13, 15 (and keep going every other day until 48 hours after the surge). Just my two cents.
I have been charting my temp and been using a test in attempts to find when I ovulate. The last three months my periods have been 31, 38, and 42 days apart. Now, I am on day 28 and the test still haven't shown I have ovulated. I am worried that something is wrong. Any explaination for not showing a positive result?
I have been monitoring my LH surge using a prediction kit for the past couple of months now. It has shown my LH surging for like 2 weeks now, I have had people verify the results and that I am reading it correctly. I also had my friend use one (She knew she wasn't ovulating) and hers came up negative as it should have. Could there be something wrong? It did this same thing last month too.
I have been using OPK's for the last couple months and I can't get a + test for the life of me. I have been monitoring my temperature and CM. Why can't I get a + OPK?
I've been using your test for awhile now and am still not pregnant. This month I was taking test everyday and missed a day. The next day it was possitive for an LH surge. I was just wondering if the LH serge lasts for only one day? Could the day before (that I missed) have been possitive also? I ask this because I was unaware (before reading this site) that it's best to have intercourse 36 hours after a possitive result. Please reply to my question.
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