Fertility Monitor: HSA Eligibility

What is a fertility monitor?

Fertility monitors are devices that help with family planning and reproductive health. Fertility monitors assist the user in becoming aware of their own fertility based on their menstrual cycle. The goal of a fertility monitor is to assist the user in determining their most fertile days of their cycle in order to achieve a pregnancy. Fertility monitors are electronic devices that can analyze a variety of indicators including urine, body temperature, saliva, and other bodily fluids. Fertility monitors read these indicators, or a combination of them, to determine the timing of a user's cycle and provide recommendations on ideal times to attempt conception (American Pregnancy Association).

Fertility monitors that measure body temperature actually target something called basal body temperature (BBT). Basal body temperature is collected after the longest sleep of the day, usually in the morning. Ovulation is indicated by a rise in BBT.

Fertility monitors that measure indicators in urine target something called lutenizing hormone (LH). Fertility monitors will indicate that ovulation is occurring about 12 to 36 hours after reading a certain concentration of LH (National Center for Biotechnology Information).

Other fertility monitors may detect the electrical resistance in saliva and vaginal fluids as another way of indicating fertility and ovulation.

Fertility monitors can be standalone electronic devices, or come with sensors that interact with a smartphone or other device to provide readings, feedback and advice. Fertility monitors may come equipped to read BBT, LH, and/or bodily fluids in a combination designed by the manufacturer. A medical professional can provide advice on which type of fertility monitor is appropriate for use.