Tuesday 11 March 2008

Warnings about home testing

A new guide out today warns of the dangers of the wide range of home tests for medical conditions now on the market. Apparently some are not properly researched, and scientists have concerns that patients may not be aware of the limitations of their results.

In the fertility field, the only home test available used to be the home pregnancy test. Now, you can buy an ovulation prediction kit, a home test for your ovarian reserve and even tests for sexually transmitted diseases which may affect your fertility. Although these tests can prove very useful, it is true that they do all have limitations and the results should always be taken with a degree of caution.

An ovulation test may show a rise in hormones, but doesn't prove that an egg has been released from the ovary. Using an ovarian reserve test to check your fertility if you want to know how late you can leave it to have a baby may show that you have a good supply of eggs, but it won't indicate other fertility problems.

The new guide has been produced by the charity Sense about Science along with the Association of Clinical Biochemistry, the PHG Foundation and the Royal College of Pathologists. You can read more about it here

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