Ovulation tests – do they work?

Because of this, some couples like to maximise the chances they get to have intercourse for pregnancy by running regular tests to see when the woman is ovulating.

What is an ovulation test?

An ovulation test involves testing a sample of your urine to detect any rise in levels of the lutenising hormone – a hormone that plays a major part in triggering ovulation. This rise usually occurs 24 to 36 hours before ovulation, flagging up the impending event.
The kit comes with a tester unit and a pack of sticks for you to take a urine sample with.

Do ovulation tests work?

General good advice when trying to conceive is to have regular sex throughout each month to maximise your chances of getting pregnant. However, for many couples this might not be possible – for example if work commitments mean you have to be away for some time each month. In this kind of circumstance, making the most of the days when you are at your fertile peak could become important, and an ovulation kit will certainly help guide you.

However, an ovulation kit can only tell you that the right hormones are active, it cannot signal any other possible barrier to fertility, like the health of the egg or the condition of the womb lining.

If you want to know where you stand each month, then either try an ovulation test or try making a chart of your monthly cycle dates and your daily temperature so you can spot when you are most likely to ovulate. For more on this, see five signs that you are ovulating.