Conception device

A conception device is a medical device which is used to assist in the achievement of a pregnancy, often, but not always, by means other than sexual intercourse (natural insemination, or NI). This article deals exclusively with conception devices for human reproduction.

There are many conception devices on the market today that can be used for predicting ovulation so that sperm can be introduced into the reproductive tract of a woman at the appropriate time, whether by sexual intercourse, including NI or by artificial insemination. Ovulation is the time of the month when the oocyte, or egg, is released by the woman. This is identified as the most fertile time in a woman's menstrual cycle. Introducing semen into the vaginal cavity during the ovulation time, called 'timing of intercourse' or 'timing of artificial insemination', is important for achieving a pregnancy. Where a donor is being used, timing is particularly important because donor sperm which is supplied by a sperm bank or a fertility clinic is expensive and it is crucial that it be used at the opportune time. Similarly, where a private donor is used, he will usually wish to supply his sperm for artificial insemination or to inseminate using intercourse at the optimum time of the month.

One type of ovulation predictor is a saliva tester. To use it a woman spits onto a glass slide to observe when salt crystals are forming to identify when she is ovulating. The saliva salt crystal formation is known as "ferning", due to the visual similarity to a fern plant under the microscope as the saliva dries. This will show an increase in estrogen that is related to ovulation.

There are devices that are like wrist watches or patches affixed to sensitive areas of the skin that measure subtle body chemical changes on the surface of the skin to help to identify time of ovulation. Some devices also come with on-line help and support.

A commonly used ovulation predictor is the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge urine stick or ovulation predictor stick that helps to identify the time of ovulation. A woman will urinate on an LH surge stick once or twice a day, starting a few days before suspected ovulation. Often the stick will show two lines indicating that ovulation is 24–36 hours away.

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