There’s a brave new world of DIY tests and gadgets to help baby-making go a little easier. We take a look at 16 of these products—from high-tech to low and everything in between.
TESTS
Ovulation test sticks
First Response; Clearblue Easy; and generic brands
Ovulation test strips
OvuChek; Answer; and generic brands
Both types of test do an admirable job at detecting a woman’s luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. With the ovulation sticks, you hold the stick in your urine flow for five seconds starting on about day eight of your cycle. Results will appear in the test window within three minutes. For the test strips, just dip a strip into a urine sample and wait five minutes for a result. When you get the signal that your LH is peaking, have sex immediately.
Upside: Probably the best value, especially if your menstrual cycle is predictable. (If yours isn’t, consider the new First Response Daily Ovulation Test, which allows for 20 consecutive tests every month to make sure you don’t miss your surge. $45; www.firstresponse.com)
Downside: You need to test consistently or you may miss your fertile days. Once the test turns positive, it’s time to jump into action since you’ll have already missed one fertile day. (The day before the LH surge—about two days before ovulation—is one of two peak fertility days.) Test sticks start at $2 each; test strips start at 50 cents each; at drugstores
FemaleCheck
FemaleCheck tests levels of three critical hormones—estradiol (estrogen), progesterone, and testosterone. Estrogen supports conception; progesterone is needed to maintain a pregnancy; and testosterone helps regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle. The test could hardly be simpler: Drop some saliva into the collection tube for two consecutive days and send it back in the prepaid return mailer. The results, which you’ll get back by mail in about seven to 10 days, give you three hormone scores and show whether you fall inside or outside a normal range for each.
Upside: The test gives you a snapshot of female fertility without going for expensive blood tests.
Downside: If your result comes back indicating a problem, your doctor will order blood tests anyway. $80; www.bodybalance.com
SPERM TESTS
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Fertell Couples Fertility Test
These his-and-hers tests combine a urine screen that looks at levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), a measure of egg quality, and a sperm test that rates the concentration of motile sperm (you need at least 10 million per mL to get a passing grade). For the man’s test, he’ll start by producing a sample into a plastic device that resembles a sliced-open tennis ball. Then he pushes a blue button to release hyaluronic acid (this mimics a woman’s cervical fluid). About 90 minutes later, a result appears: either two red lines (good news) or one red line (not-so-good news). The woman’s test includes a urine test stick that checks for day-3 FSH levels. A higher level—indicated by a result showing two dark lines—signals a less-than-optimal ovarian reserve. One line, or one dark line with a lighter second line, puts you in the normal range.
Upside: A study in the journal Human Reproduction found the male test 95 percent accurate. Alice Domar, Ph.D., executive director of the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health at Boston IVF, and an adviser on the couples’ test, calls it “a good idea to quickly identify some of the major issues.”
Downside: Neither test can detect all fertility issues, or borderline problems. $100; male test ($75) and female test ($50) available individually; www.fertell.com
Micra Home Sperm Kit
This kit includes a microscope, two reusable slides, and other paraphernalia to check that sperm is moving. It also gives an approximate sperm count: Place a sample on a grid and count the number of cells you see through the microscope. A total of at least eight sperm cells in 16 grids is equal to the normal benchmark of 20 million sperm per mL of semen.
Upside: It’s an easy check for quantity and movement of sperm.
Downside: This test just gives an estimate of sperm count and movement. Experts caution that simply seeing moving sperm doesn’t mean they’re moving in near-straight lines. As with any home test, Micra might be able to point up a male fertility issue, but only a doctor can make a diagnosis. $80; www.fertilityformen.com
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