Pregnancy Gets Personal with Digital Ovulation Test

Since every woman’s body is different, getting pregnant is not the same for every woman.  The First Response Digital Ovulation Test, announced by Church & Dwight, Co. Inc, is personalizing the process and adding clarity to conception. 

This new at-home ovulation test features technology that can detect a woman’s personal luteinizing hormone (LH) surge (the hormonal indication of ovulation) based on her own individual hormone levels.

Tracking a woman’s personal LH levels can better detect the optimal time to conceive. Unlike other at-home ovulation tests available on the market which determine ovulation based on a preset test average, this new test considers every woman’s body to be unique by determining LH surges from personal baseline levels, says the company.

Similarly, P&G along with Always, a leading player in feminine protection market, has launched the Always Me mobile application – a period and ovulation tracker. The application was designed with inputs from a select group of women-focused Web site editors, bloggers and female health experts to help satisfy a fundamental need for women.

Not just a standard period and ovulation tracker, the Always Me application is a personalized, on-the-go application that helps women manage their cycles and offers timely support and advice, the company says. (Read: Period and Ovulation Mobile App for Women)

Women, who are exploring new ways to prevent pregnancy, can now look at the options that are coming in the market. Watson Pharmaceuticals has announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of an oral contraceptive (OC) product – claimed to be the first and only low dose oral contraceptive in chewable form. (Read: New Pregnancy Prevention Pills for You)

Among the other OC options, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals has also announced that the FDA has approved its Beyaz – claimed to be the first and only OC approved to raise folate levels in women who choose an OC for birth control. (Read: Bayer Introduces New Oral Contraceptive)

Recently, FDA also approved ella (ulipristal acetate) tablets for emergency contraception. The prescription-only product prevents pregnancy when taken orally within 120 hours (five days) after a contraceptive failure or unprotected intercourse. (Read: FDA Approves ella for Emergency Contraception)

In a survey, nearly 60 percent of moms said fall and winter are the best time to conceive a baby. To help them chronicle each one of those 40 weeks, a women healthcare company Hologic has launched MamaMemoirs: The Journey from Due Date to Play Date, a multimedia online pregnancy journal. (Read: What’s the Best Time to Conceive a Child?)

Natural women’s health brand, Kira For Women, has introduced two new products – Kira PMS Relief and Kira Menopause Relief. It says many women suffer the effects of hormone changes through PMS (Pre Menstrual Syndrome) or menopausal symptoms. It is often difficult to find effective relief for PMS, as other solutions can have unwanted side effects.

However, the company says, the new Kira herbal supplements range, from Klosterfrau Healthcare, provides a natural alternative based on long-standing traditional usage. (Read: Kira Herbal Remedy for Menopause Relief)

Moreover, maternal cigarette smoking in the first trimester was associated with a 20 to 70 percent greater likelihood that a baby would be born with certain types of congenital heart defects, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Read: Smoking in Pregnancy Risky for Infants)

“Knowing when to try to conceive can be a guessing game for women, especially for those with irregular periods,” said Mary Jane Minkin, MD, board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist in private practice in New Haven, Connecticut, and a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine.

“This new at-home test indicates a woman’s most fertile days based on her unique hormone levels, allowing a couple to be certain when the best time is to try.”

The First Response Digital Ovulation Test provides 20 test sticks to detect the two most fertile days during a woman’s cycle. Daily testing starts on Day 5 of a woman’s period to begin determination of her personal baseline and ultimately allow detection of her LH surge.

The LH surge is present 24-36 hours before ovulation, and indicates the optimal time to try to conceive.

“We are always looking to bring superior products to the category that will help women conceive when they choose to,” said Stacey Feldman, VP Marketing, Women’s Health and Personal Care at Church & Dwight, Co. Inc. “The enhanced technology featured in this new digital ovulation test is one more way the makers of First Response are helping women know more about their bodies.”

To take the test, a woman must insert the test stick into the Digital Reader and then place it directly in her urine stream for five seconds.

After a brief five-minute waiting period, clearly identifiable YES/NO results will appear on the digital screen. First Response Daily Ovulation Test provides 20 tests for a one month supply of testing. The test is over 99% accurate in detecting LH Surge, the company claims.

The Digital Ovulation Test was announced Tuesday, April 26.