Ovulation prediction: simplified techniques to detect and predict the fertile period.

This examination describes the basic features of ovulation prediction technology. Although the fertile period for a woman is only about 5-6 days during each menstrual cycle natural family planning methods usually apply to abstinence periods of about 11-13 days per cycle. Improvement in marking the beginning and end of the fertile period might improve the use and reliability of natural family planning methods and help achieve pregnancy for couples with infertility difficulties. The timing and length of fertile period are affected by the hormonal environment the time of ovulation the life span of the gametes the interaction of sperm and cervical mucus and sperm transport in the female genital tract. The requirements for an effective ovulation prediction technology are appropriate physiologic markers that are accurate for predicting ovulation at least 3-5 days prior to ovulation (5 days for sperm life and 3 days for sperm to fertilize an ovum). A simple test kit could be made available for client home use. The kit should be inexpensive give fast results be easy to use be suitable for home use have high sensitivity have high specificity and be able to identify all of the days of the fertile period. The kit would predict the approximate time of ovulation and would be useful to women with irregular menstruation. The kit would be useful following and during breast feeding around the time of menopause and following childbirth and to women with vaginal discharge due to infections or leukorrhea. The kit would be useful to women learning the physical signs and symptoms of ovulation. Current natural methods include cervical mucus awareness basal body temperature and the combined mucus and basal body temperature methods. One biological marker estradiol is elevated several days prior to ovulation but there is difficulty in defining a common point for all women and absolute estrogen levels vary between women during the follicular phase. Direct markers relate to follicular processes. Indirect markers may be biochemical biophysical or clinical. A review discusses the feasibility of various indirect and direct markers in identifying the fertile period.