Ovulation test: 10 reasons why they can be wrong
There are several ways to understand your fertile days and one of them is related to the use of ovulation tests.
In some cases they can be useful even if a careful observation of one’s body usually can be more precise (and decidedly less expensive in economic terms).
Whether you use them alone or in combination with cervical mucus and/or basal temperature observations, there are some situations where they can go wrong .
Let’s see when:
- the most common ovulation tests monitor the LH surge that occurs before ovulation. However, they do not indicate whether a woman actually ovulated after the peak. There are cases, for example, in which LH peaks may occur which are not followed by ovulation. A similar thing happens in case of LUF (Luteinized Unrupted Follicle Syndrome)
- a woman may miss her peak if her peak phase lasts less than 10 hours and she tests only once a day. You may also not detect the peak with tests you know you belong to that group of women whose LH peak does not exceed the minimum detection threshold of the tests.
- a woman can experience false small LH surges that precede the true surge. This can cause intercourse to be mistimed so it could happen too soon. Furthermore, women suffering from PCOS (micropolycystic ovary syndrome) continuously have false LH surges.
- an LH ovulation test does not give us information about cervical mucus and whether it is of good quality to promote conception. Furthermore, when a test indicates the peak, the mucus may already have started to become thick and sticky again and therefore not very hospitable to sperm. In this case it would have been better to have had relationships in the previous rounds.
- Tests are more accurate when done correctly. They are never read too many minutes after execution There are various steps involved in the validity of a test including the conservation of the tests themselves. For example, if they are exposed to high temperatures where they are stored even before sale, this can compromise their reliability.
- Tests are useful if they are done on the right days, i.e. just before ovulation. This is a very important element because generally those who use ovulation tests are generally women with irregular cycles. A typical test kit that you buy at the drugstore is made up of 5-9 tests and are often not enough to cover the potentially fertile range. Let’s take an example: if a woman has irregular cycles between 29 and 42 days, in theory she should ovulate between the 15th and 28th day which is an interval of about 13 days, not coverable with a normal ovulation test kit. Therefore these women should not use the tests for the entire interval but start doing them only when they begin to notice the cervical mucus that begins to become stringy and elastic, or at least less dense.
- A woman who does not know she has a short luteal phase if she takes an ovulation test thinks she has a normal luteal phase she will do it at the wrong time. That is, she will take the test too soon and she will think she is not ovulating when she does ovulate but late. The short luteal phase (less than 11 days) should be reported to the doctor because it can prevent the establishment of a pregnancy.
- Some medications can invalidate the test result. These include:
- medicines containing FSH, LH or HCG
- antibiotics containing tetracyclines
- hormone replacement therapy
- hormonal contraceptive methods
- Women over 40 and approaching menopause may have elevated LH levels unrelated to ovulation. A test should only show the peak on one day. If it detects it for several days, it may not be valid
- ovulation tests and may not be reliable in postpartum or breastfeeding
If you want to save money you can use ovulation tests like these in the example which cost very little and you can even do 2-3 a day.
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.