The Truth About Saliva Fertility Monitors

If you are researching fertility monitors you are sure to find that the marketplace is full of products that allow you to inspect saliva visually and make a judgment as to its characteristics.

(Unfortunately, many of these claim to be "the world's first saliva based fertility test." This is patently false, as Cue® products from Zetek have been helping couples conceive since 1985.)

This inexpensive class of monitors, called ferning scopes, is based upon the principle that saliva reveals bodily changes connected with the fertility cycle. However, these visual tests are far inferior to Zetek's electronic method for the following reasons:

1. Difficulty of collecting uniform samples. There is a significant difference in the electrolyte content of passive saliva as opposed to stimulated saliva. Using an oral sensor (with a Cue II or OvaCue from Zetek) first thing in the morning largely nullifies this problem, while collecting a sample for ferning scope analysis is likely to make it worse.
   
2. Unpredictable drying times. Using the ferning method you have to wait for the saliva to dry. Drying times vary depending on conditions of the sample, ambient humidity, etc. How dry is dry enough to get an accurate reading?
   
3. Invalid readings. Physiological factors other than the ovulatory cycle, for example stress, can cause changes in the electrolytes in saliva. Zetek's Electrolyte Method is much better at compensating for these factors because it measures a complete range of electrolytes, as opposed to just sodium, and tracks them over time, thus establishing a trend.
   
4. Subjectivity in interpreting results. Interpreting a microscopic image inevitably involves a certain amount of subjective interpretation. In contrast, the OvaCue Fertility Monitor provides an unambiguous direct measurement which tells you clearly when you can conceive.

Points to remember:

• The fact that saliva varies with the ovulatory cycle has been known for a long, long time.
  
• Zetek did the original research and holds the patents on measuring electrolytes in saliva to predict ovulation.
  
• Only the OvaCue® Fertility Monitor and Cue II® Ovulation Predictor from Zetek provide a valid and reliable prediction of ovulation using saliva, the most accurate prediction of any method suitable for home use.