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Accuracy of basal body temperature for ovulation detection
Fertility and Sterility
|December 1, 1976
Summary
Basal body temperature (BBT) charting may not accurately detect ovulation in all women. About 20% of ovulatory cycles were missed by BBT, highlighting the need for hormonal confirmation in fertility tracking.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Endocrinology
- Gynecology
- Human Physiology
Background:
- Basal body temperature (BBT) charting is a common method for ovulation tracking.
- Hormonal assays provide a more definitive assessment of ovulation.
- Discrepancies between BBT and hormonal patterns can impact fertility awareness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate basal body temperature (BBT) patterns with hormonal profiles during the menstrual cycle.
- To evaluate the accuracy of BBT in identifying ovulation.
- To determine the incidence of ovulatory cycles not detected by BBT.
Main Methods:
- Serial measurement of serum luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone, and estradiol.
- Assay of urinary estrogen levels.
- Correlation of BBT with hormonal data in 30 normally menstruating women over one cycle.
Main Results:
- 70% of subjects showed a biphasic BBT correlating with an ovulatory hormonal pattern.
- 20% of subjects had a monophasic BBT despite hormonal evidence of ovulation (estrogen peak, LH surge, luteal progesterone rise).
- 10% of subjects exhibited anovulatory cycles or a deficient luteal phase.
Conclusions:
- Basal body temperature (BBT) charting is not a completely reliable indicator of ovulation.
- Approximately 20% of ovulatory cycles may be misidentified as anovulatory by BBT alone.
- Hormonal assays are crucial for confirming ovulation, especially when BBT results are equivocal.