How do ovulation prediction test strips work?
Your luteinising hormone (LH) will rise dramatically 24-48 hours before you ovulate. Ovulation test strips will help you to measure the LH surge, so that you don’t miss your most fertile days.
When to test?
When to test very depends on the length of your menstrual cycle, and if you cycle is regular.
Instructions
If your cycle is irregular
During the first 2-3 months of testing you can start using ovulation strips the first day after the bleeding ends to the day the ovulation strip detects LH surge. This will help you to approximate when you to start testing the following cycles. If your cycles are irregular you may want keep testing this way.
If your cycle is regular
If you have tracked your cycles recently and you know, that the length of your cycle is about the same each time, you can subtract 17 from the usual length of the cycle in days, to get the day to start testing:
[length of you cycle] minus [17 days] = [day to start testing]
For example, if your cycle starts every 28 days, you need to start testing on day 11 after beginning of your period. Keep testing daily until your ovulation test detects an LH surge.
What time of the day?
You can use ovulation tests any time of the day, but the best time to test is around lunch time.
Easy reference table
How to use ovulation prediction strips
Collect a small amount of urine in a clean container. Dip the end of ovulation test strip into the collected sample. Don’t immerse it past the max line. Keep it in the sample for about 10 seconds.
Put the ovulation test strip flat on clean dry surface and leave it for 3 to 5 minutes. Read the result right away, if you leave it for too long, the result of the test may be inaccurate.
Interpreting results
LH surge (positive) – 2 red colour bands appear. Test line is equal or darker to the control.
You most likely will ovulate in the next 24-48 hours. If you are trying to conceive, time intercourse at any time between 18 and 53 hours after the onset of the surge.
No LH surge (negative) – only one red colour (control) band visible or test line is lighter than a control.
Invalid (nor positive, nor negative) – no visible bands. Strip stays white. Please repeat the test with a new strip. Invalid result is very uncommon. The usual reason for this is insufficient urine sample used. If you get a few invalid tests in a row, please email us a picture of the test, so that we can assess and help you with this. So far, all the images we received, were a negative test, rather than invalid. We have never seen this, but should you get a visible test line and no control line, this is also invalid result, please email us the image of it.
Further notes
If you’d like to further enhance the accuracy of the urine test you can follow these rules:
1. If you would like to detect your ovulation as early as possible, lunch time (11AM–3PM) is the best time to test. Afternoon second best. And morning the worst. According to Studies, you are more likely to detect ovulation earlier if you test at lunch time.
2. Avoid consuming excessive liquids for a couple hours leading to the test. Diluted urine can prevent the ovulation strips from detecting LH surge.
Warnings
Store in temperature between 4 and 30 degrees celsius.
Do not reuse, discard the strip after use.
Do not use for contraception.
Do not use beyond labeled expiry date.
Do not open the sealed foil pouch before you are ready to start the test.
Do not touch the membrane located within the result region.
Remember, that all the urine specimens and used strips are considered potentially infectious.