CODEN ADCOEB ISSN 0267-4874

Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 167-274, September 1992

Advances in Contraception
The Official Journal of the Society for the Advancement of Contraception

ABSTRACTS

EIGHTH ANNUAL MEETING,
Barcelona, Spain
October 28-31, 1992
IKluwer Academic Publishers
184

Session 3
NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING
Lady-Comp AS AN AID IN NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING
G. Freundl , S. Baur^2, M. Bremme', G. Doring^3 and P. FrAnk-Hermann
I University of Desseldorf, 2 Munich, 3 Seefeld Germany

The computer thermometer Baby-Comp (Fertifitat. 1992;8:66-76) has been changed modifying the algorithm for evaluation of the, daily basal body temperature measurements and is now called Lady-Comp. It is a device which helps the woman to determine the fertile and infertile phases of the menstrual cycle.

Methods
In 15 cycles the time of ovulation was estimated using urinary LH measurements and ultrasound monitoring of maximum follicular diameter as reference methods to detect the ovulation. We defined the fertile period of a cycle from day -5 to day + 1 related to the ovulation (day 0). The information of the Lady-Comp was compared with the fertile period determined by the reference methods.

Results
In 15 cycles (cycle length between 25 and 35 days) the average duration of the fertile period was 11.1 ± 3 days (min 9 days, max 19 days [first cycle of use]). A temperature shift was found in each cycle. In 8 cycles (53.3%) it showed the beginning of the fertile time on day -5 to -7, in 4 cycles on day -8 or -9, and in 3 cycles prior to day -9 (ovulation = day 0). It recognized the end of the fertile time in 8 (53.3%) cases 24-48 hours after the ovulation, in 5 cases 3-5 days later and in 2 cases after more than 5 days after ovulation.

Conclusions
The new Lady-Comp is rather successful in locating the end of the fertile phase. It requests a long abstinence at the beginning of the cycle, although this sometimes may not be necessary.