A recent Cochrane review exploring methods to enhance the likelihood of successful conception suggests that timed intercourse using urine ovulation tests likely improves live birth and pregnancy rates in women under 40 who have been actively trying to conceive for less than 12 months, compared to intercourse without ovulation prediction.
Conducted collaboratively with researchers from Oxford University, the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, and the Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton, the review encompassed seven randomized controlled trials involving 2,464 women or couples striving to conceive.
The fertility window for successful conception is fleeting, typically spanning from approximately five days before ovulation (the release of the egg) until several hours after. Various methods can pinpoint this fertile period, such as urine ovulation tests (which detect hormonal changes in urine indicating imminent ovulation), fertility awareness-based methods (including calendar tracking, monitoring cervical fluid changes, and body temperature fluctuations), or ultrasound to identify ovulation. This review aimed to evaluate the advantages and potential drawbacks of timed intercourse concerning pregnancy, live birth, adverse effects, and quality of life for couples endeavoring to conceive.
The analysis revealed that timing intercourse around the fertile period using urine ovulation tests increased the likelihood of pregnancy and live birth by 20% to 28%, compared to 18% without utilizing these tests. This effect was particularly notable among women under 40 attempting to conceive for less than 12 months.
Tatjana Gibbons, a DPhil researcher at Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health and the lead author of the study, remarked: “Many couples face challenges in achieving pregnancy, which can trigger concerns about their fertility. The discovery that a simple and readily available urine test can enhance a couple’s prospects of successful conception is quite promising, as it empowers couples with greater control over their fertility journey and potentially reduces the necessity for infertility investigations and treatments.”
Professor Christian M. Becker of the Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health added: “The stringent evidential standards upheld in a Cochrane review render even this moderate-quality evidence regarding the effectiveness of urine ovulation tests quite remarkable, particularly surprising given their longstanding availability.”
Nevertheless, the researchers cautioned that since many of the studies received funding from the manufacturers of urine ovulation tests, the results should be interpreted cautiously.
Furthermore, they noted insufficient evidence to draw conclusions regarding the impact of other methods assessed in the study, including timed intercourse on clinical pregnancy (confirmed via ultrasound) and the use of fertility awareness-based methods in timed intercourse compared to intercourse without ovulation prediction.