This project will test the efficacy of a vaginal probe designed to predict the onset of ovulation in women. It hasbeen established that periovulatory cervical mucus volume and constitution are directly related to estrogen levels in women. As ovulation nears and follicular estrogen production increases, the cervical mucus in the vagina undergoes a noticeable shift in viscosity and electrical conductivity. The probe measures the electrical resistance of the vaginal mucus and the surrounding tissue. The user may then chart the change in vaginal conductivity, the nadirof which forecasts imminent ovulation. The system has already proven useful and effective in animal breeding programs. It is the intention of this study to determine the feasibility of using the system in women. Natural family planning, timing of artificial insemination, and many other fertility clinic functions would benefit greatly from an inexpensive, reliable, and easy-to-use ovulation detector. Twenty spontaneously ovulating women of various ages will test the probe against a background of other accepted (but more expensive and cumbersome) ovulation prediction assays such as ultrasound, bbt, and lh assays.
