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Luteinizing
hormone in elevated quantities causes ovulation. During most
of your menstrual cycle, only a small amount of LH is made.
But in the middle of the cycle, LH briefly and dramatically
surges to facilitate the release of the ovum from the ovary.
This increase is called the "LH surge" and precedes
ovulation. Conception is most likely to occur within thirty-six
hours following the LH surge. If you are trying to conceive,
then knowing when the surge of lh takes place will help you
pinpoint when you have the highest chances of getting pregnant.
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Q: How do I interpret
OPK results? Are lh tests the same as hCG pregnancy tests?
Ovulation tests function differently than
hCG tests. A positive result on an ovulation test (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.
With a pregnancy test, you are simply
looking for the presence of a test line (not faintness or degree
of intensity). |
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Q: What is the best
time of day to take the ovulation test?
Unlike the pregnancy test kit, morning (first
morning urine) is not the best time to collect samples
for ovulation tests, as LH is synthesized in your body in the
morning and will not appear in your
urine until the afternoon. The ideal time to collect a urine
sample is in the afternoon, though testing
may safely take place from 10am to early evening. |
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Q: Should I take the
test the same time every day?
Yes: To optimize accuracy of results, test
at the same time each day. Reduce your liquid intake
around 2 hours before testing as a diluted liquid sample can
hinder detection of the lh surge. |
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Q: How long after my LH
surge will ovulation take place?
Generally,
ovulation will take place 12-48 hours after the LH surge is
first detected (using afternoon
urine samples), though 36 hours is considered to be the average
length of time following
the LH surge. Once you get a positive, you know you are at peak
fertility. Timing intercourse
will increase your odds of conception. |
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Q: When I get a positive
result, when is the best time to have sex?
To increase the chance of conceiving, it is recommended to time
intercourse the day of the LH surge
as well as following three days after. |
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Q: Does the appearance of
faint 'test band' indicate an LH surge?
A
faint test line does not indicate a positive result for an LH
surge. While the presence of a faint
line on a pregnancy test may indicate a positive result, a faint
line on an ovulation test, it
is always negative. |
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Q: Does taking my basal
body temperature tell me the same thing as an OPK?
Basal Body Temperature only tells of your
LH surge after it is over. That is why the BBT method
cannot predict the LH surge. Ovulation tests will tell you -
with pinpoint accuracy - when
your chances for conception are greatest. |
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Q: Can OPKs be used as contraception
devices?
Ovulation tests
are designed to help facilitate pregnancy. They are not recommended
for contraception. |
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Q: Can clomid interfere
with test results or cause false positives?
Clomid
may cause a false positive result if you begin testing for ovulation
too early in your menstrual cycle.
Please consult with your doctor about how to use OPKs in conjunction
with Clomid - or other fertility
and prescription medications. |
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Q: Does a light test line
and a dark control line indicate a positive result?
Ovulation tests are not the same as
pregnancy tests - especially when it comes to interpreting results.
The results are only positive if the test line is equal to or
darker than the control line. Do not
try to second guess an ovulation test. While a faint test line
may indicate that the lh surge has started,
it may also simply be the result of naturally low levels of
LH that may be in your system normally
throughout your cycle. |
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Q: I had a positive result
yesterday and today. Does that mean there is something wrong?
Some women experience 2 and
more rarely 3 days of an lh surge. Such results may indicate
that your the tests detected the LH
Surge on the way up (lh increase) and again on the way down
again (lh surge decrease). |
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Q: What if I experience
a BBT thermal shift but the ovulation tests failed to detect
my LH Surge?
It is possible
to miss the surge. If you have a test line that is fairly dark
one day then very light the next, you
may have missed the actual surge. If your thermal shift occurs,
you probably ovulated. It may be a good
idea to test twice a day when you feel that you are close to
ovulating. Another possibility is that you didn't hold your
urine long enough (resulting in a diluted
sample). |
