Beyond the LadyComp: Comparing Contraceptive Montiors

How Contraceptive Monitors Make Your Birth Control Effortless

Although most people are unaware of the fact, fertilization and conception can only occur during the 12 to 24 hours a women is ovulation. Add to that the five days sperm can 'wait around' inside the uterus for an egg to be released, and you have a short number of days, often called 'the fertility window,' during which sex can lead to pregnancy. Avoid sex or use a different method of contraption during the fertility window and you have simple, natural birth control.
What stops more people from using this method? A big factor is effort. Although studies have shown tracking your cycle can be an extremely reliable method of birth control, the process of getting to know the biological mechanisms taking place with in your body — and then charting and graphing them — seems way too overwhelming.
This is where contraceptive monitors come in. Simply stated, they make natural birth control virtually effortless.

Persona: Introducing Test Stick Dependency

The Persona monitor was the first mainstream contraceptive monitor to rely on disposable urine test sticks to determine hormone levels. Hormones levels in urine rise and fall indicating impending ovulation and when ovulation has passed. When the urine sample stick is inserted into the device, your fertility status is displayed with a green or red light.
Sixteen test sticks are used during the first ‘learning’ cycle', then about eight sticks are used across eight days in future cycles. The number of test sticks necessary may vary if there is a significant variance in ovulation dates, or if ovulation is not identified. Persona is said to have a 94% contraceptive reliability or a Pearl Index of six.
The Persona Brand is actually owned by THE mega pharmaceutical company Procter and Gamble. They, of course, are looking to bring in big money, so while the persona contraceptive monitor itself is quite inexpensive, there is a catch. The continuous investment into test strips, like ink cartridges for an ink jet printer, steadily increase the actual amount you spend on the device.
Cost: £65 for the device. £14 a month for test sticks. First 2 year cost: £401

Clearblue: The Upgraded Test Stick Monitor

The Clearblue contraceptive monitor is basically the good old Persona in a new shiny box with a very cool looking touch screen interface. It uses the same Persona test urine test sticks, has the same quoted 94% reliability, and even lights up with the Persona logo when it is turned on.
In some countries, Clearblue is marketed as a fertility testing device to aid conception, and in others it is marketed as a contraceptive device. The same technology is used for both purposes.
This contraceptive device uses 2 x AA batteries which we are told last for only 4-6 cycles due to having to power the touch screen, so the cost of that should be factored in to the over all expense of the computer
Cost: £99 for the device. £20 a month for test sticks (based on £40 for 20 sticks). First 2 year cost: £579 plus batteries

The Old and New Lady-Comp a.k.a Baby-Comp

The Lady-Comp a temperature only contraceptive monitor. It has been around for about 25 years and uses BBT readings to identify ovulation. BBT is taken with the integrated thermometer, and fertile and non fertile days are calculated and displayed with red, green and yellow lights.
Readings are required every day and no extra fertility indicators can be inputted. Its bright orange LED display can be seen in the dark, although this drains a lot of power and a monthly charge is necessary.
A new Lady-Comp has been launched, also referred to as the Next Generation Lady-Comp. We haven’t managed to get hold of a device yet but we know it uses AAA batteries, therefore avoiding the need for the old charger and the hassle of changing adapters during international travel. It also now allows data to be transferred to a computer as opposed to the old version where you needed to send the monitor in to receive a print out back in the mail. The 99.3% quoted reliability suggests that the internals of the Lady-Comp have not changed, but the user interface has been upgraded.
Cost: £425 for the old Lady-Comp. First 2 year cost: £425 plus batteries.

The Pearly: Cute and basic

Pearly, is also produced by Valley Electronics, is touted as the mobile and economical version of the Lady-Comp. It is defiantly smaller and cuter than the original Lady-Comp which is quite cumbersome. The overall cost of the pearly is still relatively high for this limited type of device.
The Pearly is a temperature only device, it requires daily BBT readings throughout the cycle, and does not allow for any other indicators to be imputed. It is quoted as having the same effectiveness as the Lady-Comp, but can store less data and can't be downloaded without mailing it in.
With the Next-Generation-LadyComp being launched we will have to see if the pearly continues to be offered.
An internal battery lasts for 2 years which can be sent in for exchanging with a small cost.
Cost: £290. First 2 year cost: £290

Cyclotest: Effective, Affordable, Versatile.

Were not going to hide the fact that Cyclotest is our favorite contraceptive monitor. Here's a breakdown of why.
Sign up for an NFP course and they will teach you how to assess your fertility using the Symptothermal Method. Modern medical professionals insist that using just hormone tests or just temperature charts is not as reliable as using more then one fertility indicator. The Symptothermal Method, which uses both BBT alongside other indicators, is the future of NFP. Cyclotest is the only monitor on the market that allows, yet does not require, the to user to input cervical mucus observations and LH test results. This small yet significant difference blows all the other monitors out of the water.
Apart from increasing accuracy, using another indicator is important if your sleep is disturbed resulting in a unreliable BBT reading. This is especially critical around around the time of ovulation when an inaccurate temperature reading could alter you projected fertility window.
Cyclotest is also noteworthy because of the simple fact that it is affordable. Many contraceptive monitors come with an astronomical price tag, putting natural contraception out of the reach of the average consumer. Cyclotest is reasonably priced, and even better, it does not require test strips — so the low price remains low.
The low price however does not affect the functionality of the monitor. It is 99% reliable, and the charts it produces can be downloaded via USB. It has a flexible and highly accurate thermometer and was awarded best fertility monitor by the German version of Which? magazine.
Cost,: £149. £29 for the optional download software. First 2 year cost: £149

Bioself: Retired With Honors

Bioself was a very 1970s looking brown-beige device that was actually a pioneer in contraceptive monitors. It used the very sound Symptothermal method of charting fertility, had a quoted 99% reliability and included an built in thermometer.
The downloaded charts were available via snail mail. Bioself was even FDA approved, but sadly it never really took off in and production was stopped.
The company ceased activities in mid 2013, although may still provide warranty support.