Journal des soins de santé des femmes
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The Detection of a Salivary Ferning Pattern Using the Knowhen Ovulation Monitoring System as an Indication of Ovulation

Hugh Melnick and Vasilios Theodoros Goudas

The ability to detect the period of potential monthly fertility is of great importance to a large segment of the female population in their reproductive years, both in terms of contraception as well as conception. In the current study, the KNOWHEN® ovulation monitoring system was used by a group of women who tested their saliva on a daily basis for the presence of a ferning pattern, a known biologic marker of impending ovulation. Transvaginal ultrasound examination, which is the “gold standard” for the detection of ovulation, was employed to visually determine if the cycle was ovulatory, either by demonstrating the presence of a dominant ovarian follicle or a corpus luteum found at the site of follicular rupture. If neither were observed, the cycle was determined to be anovulatory. The presence or absence of a ferning pattern in saliva was correlated with the actual documentation of ovulation with transvaginal ultrasound examination. Twenty two (22) women were studied for a total of 41 menstrual cycles. Salivary ferning was observed in 29 of 30 ovulatory cycles. False positive results in which ferning was present in an anovulatory cycle, occurred twice in 10 anovulatory menstrual cycles. Our findings indicate a strong correlation between the presence of salivary ferning and ovulation, as detected by the Knowhen ovulation microscope (Log Odds ratio 7.64, P<0.01, CI 4.26 to 11.02), thus validating its use. Age and weight did not appear to affect ferning, alone or together (P: NS).