Ovulation test: how does it work and how much does it cost?

Knowing female ovulation is very useful if you want to conceive a pregnancy, and it is that it represents a very important factor to achieve it. Knowing which days you are ovulating allows you to understand when fertilization is most likely to occur.

The ovulation test is very accurate, but knowing how it works is very helpful in understanding what may be happening. This article explains everything there is to know, from how to correctly interpret the results to the price of the test.

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Ovulation test How does it work and how much does it cost?

There are several types and brands of ovulation tests on the market. Some are very easy to use, while others require a bit more knowledge to be able to correctly interpret the results.

The cheapest are test strips, but nowadays you can also buy digital eye tests. Its price is higher, but knowing how they work is simple and its digital screen is comfortable. Both options are 99% effective as long as they are used correctly.

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How do ovulation tests work?

The operation of the ovulation test is based on the detection of a hormone. This is luteinizing hormone (LH), which is most present in the time prior to ovulation. The reason is that it is the hormone responsible for the expulsion of the egg.

This hormone can be detected through urine, and the ovulation test is a receptor for this hormone if the levels are very high. In these cases it indicates a positive result, although it is important to bear in mind that the urine should not be the first in the morning.

For these pregnancy tests to be useful, it is necessary to know the ovulation process well and use them properly. Sometimes the ovulation cycle can be unpredictable and or have a different duration from previous times.

To use the pregnancy test it is advisable to determine the best day or days to perform it. It is best to monitor the length of the menstrual cycle and the onset of ovulation.

Another important recommendation is to always do it at the same time. As in the pregnancy test, the device must come into contact with urine.

It can be used directly at the time of urination or put urine in a container and do it afterwards. In this way you can put the device by touching the urine inside the container, which must be clean before use.

Although they are 99% effective in detecting luteinizing hormone (LH), it may not work in some cases, as the detection of the hormone may fail.

In any case, by knowing how the ovulation process works in women, it is possible to understand when the chances of pregnancy increase.

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When and how to use the ovulation test?

Proper use of the ovulation test can guarantee 99% effectiveness. The test is of great help if you are looking for a pregnancy and you want to know for sure if everything is going as it should. A couple can take a long time without getting pregnant, so it is better to know the time of ovulation and facilitate fertilization.

For this reason, it is important to know what the ovulation cycle is like and how fertilization occurs. All of this data can help build certainty, but it can also cause stress. It is important not to make the mistake of stressing, as this can be a factor that prevents you from achieving pregnancy.

When released they can remain fertile for only about 4 to 12 hours. Eggs, on the other hand, can remain available between 3 and 5 days. For this reason, take advantage of this time to have intimate relationships.

It is for this reason that to achieve a pregnancy it is so important to know when you are ovulating as accurately as possible, and there are several methods to calculate it. Ovulation tests can be the most effective, however you also have to know which days it is best to perform these tests.

In a regular 28-day cycle, ovulation occurs around day 14, counting as day number 1 the one that started the last menstruation. It begins to be considered from day 7 to 20 as possible days for ovulation, although this is almost never exact.

Not all women have 28-day cycles. It is common for them to be, for example, 24, 30 or 32. To get a rough idea of ​​which days ovulation is likely to occur, you have to subtract 14 days from the total days that the cycle lasts. For example, for a 32-day cycle, ovulation would be calculated to start on day 18.

Do not forget that the application of the ovulation test is carried out for several consecutive days close to the day of ovulation. However, it is not convenient to do it daily. This usually causes more anxiety, and there are many days in which the test gives a negative result.

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What kind of ovulation tests are there and what are their prices?

There are two types of ovulation tests on the market: digital and reactive bands.. The differences lie in the ease of interpreting the result and in the price. Both are just as efficient, and they work by detecting luteinizing hormone.

For digital tests, let the urine touch the dipstick. Then it gets into a device, and the result is indicated through a screen. It is positive when it should indicate that it is ovulation day, and negative if it is not.

The digital ovulation tests have an approximate price of between € 20 and € 40 and include 10 rods and single use. The advantage of these devices is that the result is very clear. The downside is that it may take many before testing positive, which raises the cost for the price of the product.

The other type of ovulation test is the reactive band test. They are much cheaper and there are many brands. They come in packages of at least 7 reactive bands, reaching 21 in some cases. The approximate cost is € 1 per rod.

Each rod should have contact with urine and two stripes should always appear. The difference is in the tonality of the second stripe. If it is dim, the result is negative. On the other hand, if it is the same tone or more intense, then the result is positive and it means that the woman is ovulating.

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Bibliographic references

• Dunson, D.B., Baird, D.D., Wilcox, A.J. and Weinberg, C.R. (1999). Day-specific probabilities of clinical pregnancy based on two studies with imperfect measures of ovulation ". Human Reproduction, 14 (7), 1835–1839.

• Hall, J. (2010). Guyton and Hall textbook of medical physiology (12th ed.). Philadelphia (PA): Saunders / Elsevier.

• Manders, M., McLindon, L., Schulze, B., Beckmann, M.M., Kremer, J.A. and Farquhar, C. (2015). Timed intercourse for couples trying to conceive ". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 3, CD011345.