How are the Premom Quantitative OPK and Qualitative OPK each beneficial?
If you just need a rough range of ovulation days, the Qualitative OPK generally works well. If you need to identify your LH Peak quickly and accurately without guesswork, your Quantitative OPK will be the best option.
See the difference in the image below.
How do they work differently?
Both types of tests benefit users best when in combination with the free Premom Ovulation app; however they also both can work alone. The big difference is in how they are read and interpreted.
When working with the Premom app, the quantitative tests will be read with an LH hormone Level, and a sharper curve will show in the ovulation chart when LH spikes to peak.
Qualitative tests will be read with a ratio of a test line to control line. Its Premom ovulation curve will be smoother and more gradual when LH Peak happens, sometimes making it harder to identify the exact peak.
See the image as below: the dark purple line vs the light purple line represents LH Level vs Ratio.
See the visual difference in the two test results.
What difference can a quantitative ovulation test make?
Unlike traditional tests which show you only levels in low, high, and peak, a quantitative test could accurately find your LH hormone concentration levels in numbers.
To put it simply, before today you could only find your peak, high and low LH levels, but from now on you have a chance to quantify your LH level from 0 up to 80 mIU/mL and to see your results in a complete and detailed chart of your menstrual cycle.
We call the whole solution your “Smart Pregnancy Map.” If getting pregnant successfully is the destination, the chart will show you how you will get there, and — more importantly — show you where you are on your map, all the way to the destination.
How does a quantitative ovulation test work?
First you need a more precise quantitative test. It has bold and clear lines and will gradually change as your LH Level changes, so a machine can read it more accurately. See the example below:
Some people have asked: “Without a machine, I still have to read the line change visually — how can I quantify the LH Level?”
Great question. In order to have quantitative test results, you do need the Premom app to read the test result and give a numeric result.
Our expert scientists — who created those clear, bold lines — have also integrated an accurate reading algorithm into an app, which enables your phone to work as “the baby machine”.
With the test picture you upload to the app, the exact LH Level will appear and align simultaneously. See the example below.
When visually reading a Qualitative OPK, you compare the color of your test line to your Control line to determine the results, read as “negative” when the test line is lighter than the control line or “positive” when the test line is as dark or darker than the control line. The color and intensity of both your control and test lines can vary from tests-to-test and batch-to-batch on these tests. It is only effective to compare the color of the test line to that of the control line of the same test strip – as the different tests may not be the same.
Unlike the traditional OPK, quantitative test control lines normally will not change, providing solid and clear test lines on a clean white background. The feature makes it the first OPK kit in the market that can quantify your LH hormone by providing you with a numerical LH value – no more comparing test lines and control lines.
Please note the Premom app MUST be used to enable you to read your result for a quantitative result. Once uploaded to Premom, the smart algorithm will quantify your LH Level from 0 to 80 mIU/mL.
Because of this advanced technology and exact LH results, these tests are highly beneficial for women with PCOS, irregular cycles, multiple surges, or hard-to-recognize surges.
What if the quantitative OPK result is uploaded to Premom with other qualitative test results?
If the quantitative OPK is read as a ratio, it will be different from the qualitative test reading. In the early stage of the ovulation cycle, it is normally lower. However, around the LH Peak time, the quantitative ratio can be higher. So that’s why the quantitative test will be more sensitive to the LH Level change, and in the chart it will show a sharp spike at LH peak.
Some customers may think the higher initial ratio represents a higher sensitivity in the traditional ovulation tests, but that is not the case. The key to ovulation prediction is to identify the LH peak from a sustained LH Surge. Higher sensitivity means that a smaller change in LH can be detected, instead of higher ratio at a specific time.
Try the quantitative ovulation tests today, and experience the difference!
References
- Johnson S, Stanford JB, Warren G, Bond S, Bench-Capon S, Zinaman MJ. Increased likelihood of pregnancy using an App-Connected Ovulation Test System: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Womens Health. 2020;29(1):84-90. doi:10.1089/jwh.2019.7850
- Bouchard T, Fehring RJ, Mu Q. Quantitative versus qualitative estrogen and luteinizing hormone testing for personal fertility monitoring. Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics. 2021;21(12):1349-1360. doi:10.1080/14737159.2021.2000394
- Wegrzynowicz A, Beckley A, Eyvazzadeh AD, Levy G, Park J, Klein JP. Complete cycle mapping using a quantitative At-Home hormone monitoring system in prediction of fertile days, confirmation of ovulation, and screening for ovulation issues preventing conception. Medicina-lithuania. 2022;58(12):1853. doi:10.3390/medicina58121854
