Ovulation is a process that occurs during the middle of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Ovulation occurs when a mature egg is released by the ovary into the fallopian tube through which it passes into the uterus and out of the body during menstruation. If the egg is successfully fertilized while it is travelling through the fallopian tube, then it will result in the formation of an impregnated egg which becomes a fetus. This impregnated egg deposits itself on the uterus wall where it then begins to properly develop into a fetus.
Ovulation occurs due to the increase of the luteinizing hormone. This hormone, secreted by the pituitary gland stimulates the ovary to release the egg which has become mature over the course of the menstrual cycle. Once the egg is released it is ready for fertilization by sperm deposited in a woman’s reproductive tract during sexual intercourse. The levels of some other hormones also spike before, during and after ovulation. These include the luteinizing hormone, estrogen, and follicle stimulating hormone. After ovulation, the levels of the latter two fall rapidly, while the level of estrogen tapers off gradually. During the post ovulation phase, the level of progesterone is high.
In order to test for ovulation, it is possible to use a urine sample and test this sample for an elevated level of the luteinizing hormone. This is a fairly effective test, but the level of luteinizing hormone tends to increase just a couple of days before ovulation and tapers off immediately after. It can also be untraceable if the woman has consumed a lot of water as this water will dilute her urine sample.
Another way of testing female ovulation is to test the level of estrogen in her body by using saliva ovulation tests. A saliva ovulation test involves a microscope device that is used to analyze a drop of saliva that is placed under the scope’s lens and left to dry for a few minutes. There is a particular structure that appears as though it is like the leaves of a fern tree. This structure exists when estrogen levels are high and is absent or sparsely present when estrogen levels are low. Regular monitoring of saliva using this technique can help plot the course of estrogen changes in the body and give an accurate reading of a woman’s fertility. A couple can perform a saliva ovulation test review over a period of a few days to judge the status of the woman’s fertility cycle and therefore to schedule sexual activity