Ovulation Testing and Fertility – Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

No, it will not affect your results. But your cycles might be irregular if you’ve recently stopped taking the pill, so it may be harder to know when to start testing. For this reason, it might be a good idea to wait until you’ve had two natural menstrual cycles in a row, and note the length of these cycles, before using a Clearblue Ovulation Test.

• Always read the manufacturers’ instructions for any medication you are taking before conducting a test.
• Certain medical conditions and medications can affect the performance of the test. For example, if you are actually pregnant, have recently been pregnant, have reached the menopause or if you have polycystic ovarian syndrome, you may get a misleading result. This may also be true if you are taking fertility drugs containing Luteinising Hormone (LH) or human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG). Please check with your doctor.
• Clomiphene citrate doesn’t affect the test but may affect the length of your cycle and make it harder to know when to start testing with Ovulation Tests. If you’ve used a whole pack of test sticks and your LH surge hasn’t been detected, you can start a new pack.
  

Before you can be sure when to start testing, you need to work out your usual cycle length. The length of your cycle is the number of days from the day your period starts (Day 1) to the day before your next period starts.

Click here to figure out on which day of your cycle you should start testing. Once you've started using Clearblue Ovulation Tests, the Clearblue Digital Cycle Calendar can help you recording your cycle information.

The length of the cycle can vary from one woman to another and can vary from cycle to cycle in the same woman. If your cycle length varies by more than 3 days, choose the shortest cycle you have had over the last 6 months to work out when to start testing.

If you wish to start using Clearblue Ovulation Tests before knowing your cycle length, we recommend that you start testing on day 10. However, without determining your cycle length, it is possible that you might miss your surge because you have started testing too late, or you may need to use additional test sticks to detect your LH surge.

If your cycle is 21 days or less, you should start testing on day 5 of your cycle. If your cycle is longer than 40 days, you should start testing 17 days before you expect your next period.

It can take normal, healthy women many months to conceive. There are many reasons why you may not get pregnant, even if you\'ve made love at your most fertile time. So keep trying.

You could take a Clearblue Pregnancy Test. They’re easy to use and can give you an accurate result in as little as 1 minute. If your Clearblue Pregnancy Test result is ‘Pregnant’ you should see your doctor to discuss your result and the steps you should take next. If you’d like to know more about Clearblue Pregnancy Tests, click here.

No. You can stop testing when you detect your LH surge and store the remaining tests in case you need them next cycle.

The best solution is to test again as soon as possible today (though you should wait 4 hours before passing urine again to ensure that the level of LH in your urine is not diluted). Try to avoid drinking excessive amounts between doing the tests. Make sure that you follow all the instructions carefully. It’s best not to wait until the next day to do another test, or you could miss your LH surge. If you have collected a sample to test, then you can use this same sample straight away to do your second test. If you don’t detect your LH surge with this second test, then test again tomorrow at the usual time.