The Library
1530 papers on microsampling and monitoring, each with a finding paraphrased to our standard and labelled in one vocabulary. Every entry links to a legitimate copy; nothing is copied from an abstract.
81 papers labelled “fertility”, newest first.
2026
Self-collected salivary progesterone and the ratio of estradiol to progesterone showed strong agreement with serum levels, supporting the use of saliva as a noninvasive matrix for monitoring the menstrual cycle.
Salivary estradiol and progesterone across the menstrual cycle: Association and agreement with serum concentrations — Goldenstein et al., Physiological reports
- venous-agreement
- blood
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
- saliva
2026
In a large study using self-collected capillary blood, current vaping and smoking were independently associated with lower levels of anti-Müllerian hormone, a marker of ovarian reserve. This demonstrates the utility of decentralised capillary sampling for large-scale epidemiological research on reproductive health.
E-cigarette use (vaping) and cigarette smoking are associated with reduced markers of ovarian reserve: a cross-sectional study of 16,087 women — Getreu et al., BMC women's health (paywalled)
- blood
- self-collection
- capillary
- fertility
- hormones
2026
This study demonstrates that a memristor sensor can identify distinct electrical signatures in saliva and urine corresponding to different ovulation phases, suggesting a potential route for noninvasive home fertility monitoring.
A Noninvasive Method for Dynamic Ovulation Monitoring Based on Memristor — Chen et al., ACS omega
- fertility
- hormones
- liquid
- urine
- saliva
2026
Capillary fingerstick sampling showed high correlation and agreement with venous sampling for serum AMH but with proportional bias, so it may improve access to testing yet should not be considered fully interchangeable without further validation.
Comparison of serum anti-Müllerian hormone concentrations measured in capillary fingerstick and venous samples from Korean reproductive-aged women — Lavadia et al., Clinical and experimental reproductive medicine (paywalled)
- blood
- capillary
- validation
- venous-agreement
- acceptability
- fertility
- hormones
2026
In a study of 46 perinatal nicotine users, dried blood spots and saliva were used weekly to measure reproductive hormones, finding that lower postpartum estradiol and greater peripartum declines in oxytocin were associated with increased nicotine craving and use. This demonstrates the feasibility of decentralised microsampling and remote surveys for longitudinal hormone tracking in vulnerable populations.
Exploring hormonal influences on nicotine craving and use across the perinatal period: A prospective longitudinal study — Allen et al., Drug and alcohol dependence reports (paywalled)
- blood
- dbs
- cortisol
- self-collection
- dried
- fertility
- hormones
- saliva
2026
Menstrual blood offers a noninvasive, patient-centric matrix for detecting endometriosis, cervical cancer, and hormonal disorders through self-collected samples. Wearable in-pad biosensors enabling real-time monitoring and long-term tracking could transform fertility evaluation and early disease detection, though standardisation and large-scale validation remain critical gaps.
Beyond waste: menstrual blood as a powerful diagnostic tool for women's health — Shafiq et al., Annals of medicine and surgery
- blood
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
- wearable
- multimodal
2026
In female shift workers, 0.3 mg melatonin reduced climacteric symptoms by 15.8% compared with placebo and improved sleep quality on days off by 35.33%, with no shift interaction; home blood sampling enabled measurement of LH, FSH, estradiol and progesterone.
Low-Dose Melatonin, Climacteric Symptoms and Sleep in Female Shift Workers: A Randomized Controlled Trial — Saraiva et al., Journal of pineal research
- blood
- fertility
- hormones
2026
In a large real-world cohort of pregnancy planners using home urine tests, sensitivity was lower than expected before the expected period, with false negatives of 12.7% at 2 days, 21.4% at 3 days and 46.4% at 4 days before menses; sensitivity rose sharply thereafter to over 99% by 4 days after the expected period, and for any given test day, longer menstrual cycles were associated with higher sensitivity, especially among early testers.
Home pregnancy test sensitivity by test timing and cycle length with real-world use among pregnancy planners who conceived — Sundermann et al., Fertility and sterility (paywalled)
- urine
- self-collection
- fertility
2026
Home DBS sampling gave testosterone results that agreed well with venous blood in men on intramuscular testosterone undecanoate, but showed falsely high values in those using topical gel, likely from skin contamination. Patients preferred home collection for its convenience, suggesting DBS is viable for decentralised monitoring of injectable testosterone if patients are taught proper technique.
From venipuncture to self-sampling dried blood spots: a shift in monitoring testosterone levels — Olthof et al., Clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- capillary
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- acceptability
- fertility
- hormones
- tdm
2025
Earlobe capillary microsampling of 100-250 µL found good agreement with venous draws for progesterone, concordance 0.911, and 17β-estradiol, concordance 0.919, across menstrual cycles, showing suitability for decentralised monitoring. However, participant-reported burden was not assessed, and further validation is required in elite athletes.
Larger-volume capillary blood sampling is a valid alternative to assess progesterone and 17β-estradiol for cycle phase identification — Schlie et al., Frontiers in Physiology
- blood
- liquid
- capillary
- hormones
- fertility
- venous-agreement
- validation
2025
Capillary dried blood spots yielded reference ranges for testosterone, androstenedione, 17α hydroxyprogesterone and progesterone in healthy premenopausal women, with lower concentrations in users of systemic hormonal contraceptives and cycle-related variation for 17OHP and P4. These ranges enable screening for disorders of sex development using less invasive microsampling.
Evaluation of reference ranges of four circulating sex steroids from dried blood spots in women aged 18-40 years — Wang et al., The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology (paywalled)
- blood
- dbs
- dried
- capillary
- fertility
- hormones
2025
Capillary tubes with serum separator gel gave 13% lower estradiol and 8% lower testosterone than non-gel capillary tubes, with discrepancies up to 19% and 14% versus venous tubes; other fertility hormones were unaffected. Conversion formulas were derived, but the study did not evaluate home collection workflows.
Systematic Reduction in Estradiol and Testosterone Measurements due to Serum Separator Gel in Blood Collection Tubes: Implications for At-Home Fertility Testing — Vasavan et al., The journal of applied laboratory medicine (paywalled)
- blood
- capillary
- venous-agreement
- fertility
- hormones
2025
Self-collected oral and stool samples revealed distinct microbiome compositions in patients with endometriosis compared to controls, with Fusobacterium enrichment specifically observed in oral samples from moderate to severe cases. These results support the feasibility of decentralised self-collection for non-invasive biomarker screening in reproductive health.
Oral, Vaginal, and Stool Microbial Signatures in Patients With Endometriosis as Potential Diagnostic Non-Invasive Biomarkers: A Prospective Cohort Study — Hicks et al., BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
- self-collection
- microbiome
- fertility
- stool
- saliva
- biomarkers
2025
In 46 women under hormone monitoring at Columbia University Fertility Center, oestradiol, LH, FSH, progesterone and hCG measured on routine immunoassays from 400 to 600 microlitres of upper-arm capillary blood collected with TAP Micro Select agreed closely with paired venous results for every analyte, with correlation and concordance high throughout. It is the evidence that puts a self-collected sample inside the daily monitoring of an IVF cycle.
Painless, needle-free capillary blood collection for fertility hormone monitoring — Lattin et al., Fertility and sterility (paywalled)
- blood
- liquid
- capillary
- yourbio
- fertility
- hormones
- venous-agreement
- validation
2025
In a feasibility pilot of 29 perimenopausal women using daily saliva progesterone measured at home, a significant association was seen between short luteal phases and having more cycles under 23 days, but this did not remain after adjusting for observation count and no differences were found for other cycle characteristics, suggesting short luteal phases may not reliably indicate cycle irregularity in this population.
The role of short luteal phases on cycle regularity during the perimenopausal transition — Visby Madsen et al., Menopause (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
2025
A survey of 146 Brazilian infertility patients found that 88.3% were willing to perform ultrasounds at home provided image quality and diagnostic accuracy matched clinic-based examinations, and identified patients already familiar with assisted reproductive technology processes as the most suitable candidates for remote fertility monitoring.
Remote fertility care: Are patients prepared to forego physician proximity in favor of accessibility? — Collado et al., JBRA assisted reproduction
- acceptability
- fertility
- rpm
2025
The Mira fertility monitor's LH surge and urine E1-3G levels correlated strongly with the ClearBlue Fertility Monitor's LH surge and low-to-high shift in both postpartum and perimenopause transitions, supporting at-home urine hormone monitoring for fertility tracking.
Validating At-Home Urinary Hormone Measurements in Postpartum and Perimenopause Fertility Transitions — Bouchard et al., Women's health reports
- urine
- self-collection
- validation
- fertility
- hormones
2025
Self-scans with a smartphone-based home ultrasound device produced image quality and measurements of follicle count, endometrial thickness and oocyte yield that closely matched in-clinic sonography, with strong correlations and no difference in clinical decisions, supporting remote monitoring of ovarian stimulation.
Monitoring Ovarian Stimulation for Assisted Reproduction With Patient Self-Scans Using a Home Vaginal Ultrasound Device: A Single-Center Interventional, Prospective Study — Shufaro et al., Journal of medical Internet research
- fertility
- rpm
2025
Across perinatal care, wearable sensors and home-monitoring platforms support timely intervention, with remote monitoring linked to a 7 to 11 percent reduction in maternal mortality and preeclampsia incidence. In neonatal care, predictive digital monitoring such as the Heart Rate Observation system reduced mortality in very low-birth-weight infants by approximately 20 percent.
Integrating Artificial Intelligence into Perinatal Care Pathways: A Scoping Review of Reviews of Applications, Outcomes, and Equity — El Arab et al., Nursing reports
- fertility
- wearable
- rpm
2025
Only 24% of participants completed this two-cycle feasibility study of AI-interpreted salivary ferning for ovulation prediction in females with irregular cycles, with 44% withdrawing citing cycle irregularity, pregnancy, or time constraints. The authors concluded that decentralised fertility trials must streamline procedures and provide ovulatory health education to improve retention and reduce burden before smartphone-based diagnostics can be scaled for this population.
Digitally Enabled AI-Interpreted Salivary Ferning-Based Ovulation Prediction: Feasibility Study — Peebles et al., Journal of medical Internet research
- saliva
- self-collection
- acceptability
- fertility
- hormones
2025
The Ovul portable device, which analyses dried saliva crystallisation patterns to detect the fertile window, achieved 97.4% sensitivity and 97.6% accuracy in women with idiopathic infertility, outperforming urine test strips while both methods maintained 100% specificity against folliculometry. This supports its use as a decentralised, patient‑centric tool for home fertility monitoring that could reduce costs and improve convenience.
Effectiveness of using ferning of the dried saliva crystallization to determine the fertile window in women with idiopathic infertility — Kolomiichenko et al., Wiadomosci lekarskie (paywalled)
- saliva
- dried
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
2025
In women with endometriosis, longer individual exercise sessions were associated with lower levels of salivary c-reactive protein and estradiol, as well as reduced pain and fat mass. The results demonstrate the utility of timed, at-home saliva self-collection for assessing systemic biomarkers in reproductive health research.
Is exercise duration more important than intensity in endometriosis? — Hartmann et al., BMC women's health
- saliva
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
- cortisol
- biomarkers
2025
All five at-home urine ovulation predictor kits demonstrated high accuracy (92–97%) when compared with blood LH levels, though sensitivity varied widely from 38% to 77% with Clinical Guard the lowest. Patient experience was comparable across kits, though Clinical Guard was slightly less favoured for future use.
Similar accuracy and patient experience with different one-step ovulation predictor kits — Vanderhoff et al., Fertility and sterility (paywalled)
- blood
- urine
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- acceptability
- fertility
- hormones
2024
The study found excellent agreement between hCG levels measured in remotely collected capillary blood and standard venous samples, with a near-perfect correlation. This demonstrates that remote self-collection is a feasible and acceptable alternative for serial pregnancy monitoring, reducing the need for clinic visits.
Proof-of-concept study: Remote capillary blood collection for hCG analysis in early pregnancy — Joyce et al., European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology (paywalled)
- venous-agreement
- acceptability
- blood
- self-collection
- capillary
- fertility
- hormones
- liquid
2024
A study of 152 women found that HbA1c and reproductive hormone levels from menstrual blood collected via a modified pad highly correlated with venous blood, supporting its use as a decentralised surrogate, though interassay variability was noted.
Concordance of hemoglobin A1c and reproductive hormone levels in menstrual and venous blood — Naseri et al., F&S reports
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- venous-agreement
- fertility
- hormones
2024
This retrospective case series found that a protocol combining home-based urinary hormone testing with a smartphone application supported fertility management and family planning without unintended pregnancies. The findings suggest that integrating self-collected urinary data with digital tools offers a viable decentralised approach for ovulation prediction.
Helping Patients to Predict and Confirm Ovulation with the Use of Combined Urinary Hormonal and Smartphone Technology: A Proof-of-Concept Retrospective Descriptive Case Series — Leiva & Ecochard, Seminars in reproductive medicine
- multimodal
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
- urine
2024
In subfertile women, urinary microbiota profiles correlated strongly with vaginal profiles but contained fewer species, indicating that vaginal sampling is preferable for predicting fertility treatment outcomes.
Clinical Applicability of Microbiota Sampling in a Subfertile Population: Urine versus Vagina — Koedooder et al., Microorganisms
- urine
- self-collection
- fertility
- microbiome
2024
A four-item questionnaire for menstrual phase identification, validated against progesterone in dried blood spots, achieved 92.1 per cent accuracy with less restrictive scoring, substantially better than self-reported onset of menses alone (60.2 per cent). This tool could enable accurate phase determination in decentralised research and low-resource settings without intensive clinical assessment.
Menstrual Phase Identification Questionnaire (MPIQ): Development and validation of a cross-sectional survey to identify follicular and luteal phases — Allen et al., Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- validation
- fertility
- hormones
2024
This study found that dried blood spot samples stored at room temperature for four years correlated highly with serum measurements for testosterone and androstenedione, indicating that hematocrit adjustment may be unnecessary for serial monitoring in home-based self-sampling.
Dried blood spot sampling of testosterone microdosing in healthy females — Desai et al., The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- capillary
- dbs
- self-collection
- validation
- venous-agreement
- fertility
- hormones
- haematocrit
2024
In young elite footballers with regular cycles, salivary progesterone correlated strongly with capillary blood concentrations, offering a non‑invasive way to track ovarian function. A luteal‑phase saliva progesterone threshold of 50 pg/ml and a 1.5‑fold rise over follicular baseline showed good accuracy for confirming ovulation against serum criteria.
The use of saliva and blood progesterone to profile the menstrual cycles of youth professional football players — Ferrer et al., Frontiers in sports and active living
- blood
- saliva
- capillary
- validation
- fertility
- hormones
2023
A remote protocol combining daily surveys with weekly self-collected dried blood spots achieved a 92% study completion rate and high acceptability among reproductive-age women smokers, with 87% of participants collecting most samples and the same proportion extremely willing to repeat the study. This feasibility demonstrates that decentralised microsampling can support longitudinal research on hormonal contraceptive effects and smoking behaviour.
Feasibility of remotely assessing hormonal contraceptive use and smoking-related symptomatology: Evidence from a preliminary prospective cohort study — Medvescek & Allen, Drug and alcohol dependence reports (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- acceptability
- fertility
- hormones
- dct
2023
Quantitative at-home urine monitors clearly demarcated luteal phase transitions, luteinisation, progestation, and luteolysis, and identified anovulation across three clinical scenarios. This proof-of-concept suggests self-collected urine hormone measurements could help women target fertility interventions without clinic visits.
Using Quantitative Hormonal Fertility Monitors to Evaluate the Luteal Phase: Proof of Concept Case Study — Bouchard, Medicina
- urine
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
2023
Fertility patients commonly use direct-to-consumer ovulation prediction methods, yet reproductive endocrinologists rate the utility of these tests substantially lower than patients do. This discordance highlights the need for better patient education and guidelines to inform self-collection and interpretation of fertility biomarkers in decentralised care.
Direct-to-consumer fertility testing: utilization and perceived utility among fertility patients and reproductive endocrinologists — Peipert et al., Reproductive biomedicine online (paywalled)
- self-collection
- acceptability
- fertility
- hormones
2023
In this observational study of 14 female students, greater total daily energy expenditure and a later midpoint of sleep were associated with lower severity of several menstruation-related symptoms during the menstrual and luteal phases. These findings suggest that lifestyle factors such as physical activity and sleep timing may inform non-pharmacological management of menstrual symptoms, though larger studies are needed to confirm clinical utility.
Menstruation-related symptoms are associated with physical activity and midpoint of sleep: a pilot study — Masuda & Okada, Frontiers in global women's health
- fertility
- wearable
- digital-biomarker
- actigraphy
2023
Daily remote urine hormone monitoring of LH and PdG, together with age and cycle start day, can identify menstrual cycle phase and day with 95% confidence; this supports precise, patient-centric cycle tracking outside clinic settings.
Using Hormone Data and Age to Pinpoint Cycle Day within the Menstrual Cycle — Hills et al., Medicina (paywalled)
- urine
- fertility
- hormones
2023
An intensive protocol combining daily at-home saliva collection for ovarian hormones with smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment achieved 85% compliance in 50 female smokers, revealing substantial within- and between-subject heterogeneity in hormone levels, anxiety and nicotine craving. This demonstrates feasibility of decentralised, patient-centric data collection for studying complex comorbidities.
Methodological approach for an integrated female-specific study of anxiety and smoking comorbidity — Farris et al., Frontiers in psychiatry
- saliva
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
- digital-biomarker
- multimodal
2023
At-home urine oestrone-3-glucuronide measured with the Mira Fertility Tracker during gonadotropin stimulation correlated well with paired serum oestradiol (r = 0.761) and predicted mature oocyte yield to a similar degree, suggesting that patient-centric oestrogen monitoring could reduce reliance on clinic-based venous draws during fertility treatment.
At-home urine estrone-3-glucuronide quantification predicts oocyte retrieval outcomes comparably with serum estradiol — Nakhuda et al., F&S reports
- urine
- first-void
- self-collection
- venous-agreement
- fertility
- hormones
2023
In 20 women providing 73 paired samples across menstrual‑cycle phases, urinary metabolites measured at home correlated strongly with serum hormone concentrations (estradiol R²=0.96, progesterone R²=0.95, LH R²=0.98). When the derived equations were applied to a separate set of 20 users, predicted serum values correlated 0.92–0.94 with actual measurements. This suggests home urine testing could substitute for clinic blood draws in routine fertility monitoring, though the cohort was limited to women with normal cycles.
Predicting serum hormone concentration by estimation of urinary hormones through a home-use device — Pattnaik et al., Human reproduction open
- blood
- urine
- self-collection
- validation
- fertility
- hormones
2023
Female adolescent and young adult cancer survivors frequently misestimated their infertility risk, with minimal agreement between perceived risk and objective assessment using self-collected dried blood spots for ovarian reserve testing. The study suggests ongoing counselling could align perceptions with actual risk and inform family planning.
Perceived and Objective Fertility Risk Among Female Survivors of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer — Din et al., JAMA network open
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
2023
The study found that the Premom and Easy@Home urine-based luteinizing hormone testing systems provided estimates of peak fertility that were highly correlated with the Clearblue Fertility Monitor, suggesting they are accurate tools for ovulation detection and easy to use at home.
A Comparison of Two Hormonal Fertility Monitoring Systems for Ovulation Detection: A Pilot Study — Mu & Fehring, Medicina
- urine
- self-collection
- acceptability
- fertility
- hormones
2023
The Inito Fertility Monitor demonstrated strong agreement with laboratory ELISA for measuring urinary estrone-3-glucuronide, pregnanediol glucuronide and luteinising hormone, with coefficients of variation around 5%. It identified a novel ovulation confirmation criterion that distinguished ovulatory from anovulatory cycles with 100% specificity and an area under the curve of 0.98, supporting accurate decentralised fertility monitoring.
Validation of urinary reproductive hormone measurements using a novel smartphone connected reader — Pattnaik et al., Scientific reports
- urine
- self-collection
- validation
- fertility
- hormones
2023
Home-based monitoring of ovulation for timing frozen embryo transfer produced ongoing pregnancy rates of 20.8% in 732 women, which was non-inferior to the 20.9% rate with hospital-controlled monitoring (risk difference -0.14%, 90% CI -3.63 to 3.36). This randomised trial supports decentralised fertility care without compromising pregnancy outcomes.
Home-based monitoring of ovulation to time frozen embryo transfers in the Netherlands (Antarctica-2): an open-label, nationwide, randomised, non-inferiority trial — Zaat et al., Lancet (paywalled)
- fertility
- hormones
2023
EFT and music therapy significantly reduced anxiety and salivary cortisol levels while improving psychological growth and wellbeing in pregnant women following prenatal loss. This demonstrates that saliva sampling can be integrated into decentralised mental health interventions, supporting remote biomarker monitoring in perinatal care.
The effect of emotional freedom technique and music applied to pregnant women who experienced prenatal loss on psychological growth, well-being, and cortisol level: A randomized controlled trial — Okyay & Uçar, Archives of psychiatric nursing (paywalled)
- saliva
- fertility
- hormones
- cortisol
2023
Researchers developed a flexible electrochemical immunosensor with micropyramidal electrodes that detects salivary progesterone and β-estradiol at sub-femtomolar concentrations within minutes. This patient-centric approach enables decentralised, centrifuge-free monitoring of ovarian hormone cycles through simple saliva dilution, offering a practical platform for at-home reproductive health diagnostics.
Tip-Enhanced Sub-Femtomolar Steroid Immunosensing via Micropyramidal Flexible Conducting Polymer Electrodes for At-Home Monitoring of Salivary Sex Hormones — Li et al., ACS nano (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
2022
Female firefighters had lower anti-Müllerian hormone levels than matched non-firefighters, suggesting occupational exposures may affect ovarian reserve; this supports the feasibility of using dried blood spots for hormone measurement outside traditional labs.
Anti-Müllerian Hormone Levels among Female Firefighters — Davidson et al., International journal of environmental research and public health
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- fertility
- hormones
2022
The TAP device showed near perfect agreement with venous sampling for anti-Müllerian hormone measurements, with higher accuracy and lower pain compared to ADx card. This validates TAP as a reliable option for patient-led fertility hormone testing at home.
Evaluation of at-home serum anti-Müllerian hormone testing: a head-to-head comparison study — Silliman et al., Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E
- blood
- capillary
- yourbio
- venous-agreement
- acceptability
- fertility
- hormones
2022
Patients ranked pregnancy chance as the key facilitator for home-based LH urine testing in frozen embryo transfer cycles, while fear of missing ovulation was their main barrier. Healthcare providers agreed on pregnancy rates but cited laboratory capacity as their primary constraint, highlighting that decentralised fertility monitoring must address both patient confidence and system logistics to succeed.
Facilitators and barriers for home-based monitoring to time frozen embryo transfers in IVF among women and healthcare providers — Zaat et al., Human reproduction open
- urine
- acceptability
- fertility
- hormones
2022
The study found comparable seropositivity for Chlamydia trachomatis and Toxoplasma gondii among male partners of infertile couples in Odisha, with 28 per cent showing anti-Chlamydia IgA and 28 per cent anti-Toxoplasma IgM antibodies. This demonstrates that first-void urine and seminal fluid can detect relevant infections, supporting their use in decentralised fertility screening programmes.
Seropositivity of <i>Chlamydia trachomatis & Toxoplasma gondii</i> among male partners of infertile couples in Odisha, India: A facility-based exploratory study — Naik et al., The Indian journal of medical research
- urine
- first-void
- fertility
- serology
- sti
2022
Women using a connected urine ovulation test in this home-based randomised trial achieved a live birth rate of 16.4% in the first cycle versus 8.5% in controls (odds ratio 2.12, p=0.001). The result demonstrates that decentralised hormone monitoring improves fertility outcomes, with 78% of all pregnancies ending in live birth.
Increased Chance of Live Birth Following Use of Connected Ovulation Test System: Outcome Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial — Johnson et al., Women's health reports
- urine
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
2022
An algorithm using the ratio of area under the curve for daily urinary E3G and PDG, together with a cycle-specific rise in PDG, correctly identified the luteal transition in all 78 cycles and predicted the start of the safe period from day +2 to +6 with a mean of 10.3 safe luteal days. This offers a practical, self-collection based approach to time the menstrual cycle for natural family planning and clinical assessment of ovarian function.
Algorithms with Area under the Curve for Daily Urinary Estrone-3-Glucuronide and Pregnanediol-3-Glucuronide to Signal the Transition to the Luteal Phase — Usala et al., Medicina
- urine
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
2022
The study found that an at-home urine testing system could predict ovarian reserve, identify up to six fertile days and confirm ovulation by measuring four hormones across the menstrual cycle, potentially screening for ovulatory disorders in a decentralised setting.
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 — Wegrzynowicz et al., Medicina
- urine
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
2022
Among 328 Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome, home testing identified obstructive sleep apnea in 40%, with higher body mass index and blood pressure in those affected. This shows decentralised sleep monitoring can uncover important comorbidities in patients attending fertility clinics.
Analysis of the proportion and clinical characteristics of obstructive sleep apnea in women with polycystic ovary syndrome — Yang et al., Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung (paywalled)
- fertility
- hormones
- rpm
2021
Four dried urine spots across a day matched a 24-hour liquid collection for 17 reproductive hormones and metabolites, with intraclass correlations above 0.90.
Reliability of a dried urine test for comprehensive assessment of urine hormones and metabolites — Newman & Curran, BMC Chemistry
- metabolome
- dried
- steroids
- fertility
- hormones
- liquid
- urine
- validation
2021
Mean anti-Müllerian hormone levels were nearly 24 per cent lower among combined oral contraceptive pill users compared with non-users, showing that patient-centric microsampling can generate real-world evidence to help clinicians interpret fertility biomarkers during contraceptive use.
Anti-Müllerian hormone levels among contraceptive users: evidence from a cross-sectional cohort of 27,125 individuals — Hariton et al., American journal of obstetrics and gynecology (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
2021
The authors built a home-use ovulation detector that measures basal body temperature and cervical mucus pH, validated it in twenty women, and reported satisfactory performance for identifying fertility windows to aid both contraception and conception. This supports decentralised, patient-managed fertility monitoring integrated with smartphone e-health platforms.
Development of a Permanent Device for Fertility Period Detection by Basal Body Temperature and Analysis of the Cervical Mucus Potential of Hydrogen — Mansouri, Journal of medical signals and sensors
- fertility
- wearable
- rpm
- digital-biomarker
2021
The Fertility Indicator Equation produced a clear signature of consecutive positive values when applied to daily serum progesterone or urinary pregnanediol-3-glucuronide levels, reliably signalling the transition from ovulatory to luteal phase. This approach could enable home-based fertility monitoring through self-collected urine samples.
The Fertility Indicator Equation Using Serum Progesterone and Urinary Pregnanediol-3-Glucuronide for Assessment of Ovulatory to Luteal Phase Transition — Usala et al., Medicina
- blood
- urine
- fertility
- hormones
2021
Handelsman et al. validated a direct LCMS assay for pregnanediol glucuronide in dried urine spots without deconjugation. In ten women monitored across one menstrual cycle, using two or three consecutive first-void samples reduced false-negative ovulation detection from eight per cent to 2.6 per cent and 1.9 per cent respectively, enabling accurate home-based fertility assessment.
Direct measurement of pregnanediol 3-glucuronide (PDG) in dried urine spots by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to detect ovulation — Handelsman et al., The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology (paywalled)
- urine
- dried
- first-void
- self-collection
- validation
- fertility
- hormones
- steroids
2021
The study identified differential expression of urine-circulating microRNAs in five Chlamydia trachomatis-positive women with recurrent spontaneous abortion versus controls, with miR-16 showing 4.3-fold upregulation. This supports first-void urine as a viable non-invasive specimen for molecular screening of infection-related reproductive complications in decentralised settings.
Differential expression of urine-circulating micro-RNAs in Chlamydia trachomatis-induced recurrent spontaneous aborters — Ray et al., Microbial pathogenesis (paywalled)
- urine
- first-void
- fertility
- sti
- biomarkers
2021
Dried blood spot measurements of antimüllerian hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone helped to stage reproductive ageing in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors, though 29 per cent could not be classified by STRAW+10 criteria, particularly within two years of gonadotoxic treatment. The study suggests that bleeding pattern alone may misclassify survivors and that modified staging criteria are needed for this population.
Beyond Premature Ovarian Insufficiency: Staging Reproductive Aging in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors — Medica et al., The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- fertility
- hormones
2020
Dried blood spots collected serially from 763 female adolescent and young adult cancer survivors for up to 18 months revealed that anti-Müllerian hormone trajectories vary markedly by treatment gonadotoxicity and age at diagnosis. This establishes patient-centric microsampling as a viable method for longitudinal fertility assessment in decentralised oncology follow-up care.
Modeling Variation in the Reproductive Lifespan of Female Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors Using AMH — Su et al., The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- fertility
- hormones
2020
Finger-stick dried blood spots from 191 young women yielded anti-Müllerian hormone concentrations in the normal range (mean 5.66 ng/mL) and were deemed acceptable, with 81 per cent comfortable with collection and 88 per cent willing to repeat it. This supports feasibility of decentralised reproductive health studies, though validation against gold-standard measures remains necessary.
A pilot study for exploring blood spot anti-mullerian hormone for population-based adolescent reproductive health research — Hall et al., Frontiers in women's health (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- capillary
- dbs
- acceptability
- fertility
- hormones
2020
In a randomised trial of 260 women undergoing natural cycle frozen embryo transfer, home-based ovulation monitoring using urine LH tests provided greater feelings of empowerment and treatment discretion compared with hospital monitoring, despite similar increases in anxiety and sadness across both pathways.
Home- or hospital-based monitoring to time frozen embryo transfer in the natural cycle? Patient-reported outcomes and experiences from the Antarctica-2 randomised controlled trial — Zaat et al., Human reproduction
- urine
- self-collection
- acceptability
- fertility
- hormones
- dct
2020
An LC-MS/MS assay for testosterone, androstenedione and 17-hydroxyprogesterone using Mitra microsampling devices achieved mean recoveries of 102%, 98% and 97% respectively, with limits of quantification of 1–4 nmol/L. This analytical validation demonstrates that volumetric absorptive microsampling can deliver reliable reproductive hormone measurements, supporting its use in decentralised diagnostics.
Quantification of testosterone, androstenedione and 17-hydroxyprogesterone in whole blood collected using Mitra microsampling devices — Marshall et al., Annals of clinical biochemistry (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- vams
- neoteryx-mitra
- validation
- venous-agreement
- fertility
- hormones
2020
Women using a home-based, app-connected urine ovulation test achieved pregnancy in 25.4% of first cycles versus 14.7% for those not using tests (p<0.001), with a cumulative two-cycle rate of 40.8% versus 30.0% (p=0.026). This shows that decentralised hormone self-sampling can significantly improve conception rates while reducing intercourse frequency through better cycle timing.
Increased Likelihood of Pregnancy Using an App-Connected Ovulation Test System: A Randomized Controlled Trial — Johnson et al., Journal of women's health
- urine
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
- dct
2019
This study found that dried urine metabolite patterns followed serum concentrations. It shows excellent agreement for the 4-spot method versus 24-hour collections and dried versus liquid urine, with intraclass correlation coefficients greater than 0.95.
Evaluating urinary estrogen and progesterone metabolites using dried filter-paper samples and GC-MS/MS — Newman et al., BMC Chemistry
- dried
- steroids
- fertility
- hormones
- liquid
- urine
- validation
2019
In a prospective preconception cohort, participants correctly collected 82% of expected female urine samples and 59% of male samples on investigator-identified days, with high agreement between participants and expert reviewers on fertile window timing. This demonstrates that intensively scheduled, biologically triggered, at-home urine collection can be successfully targeted to the periconceptional window and completed in longitudinal research.
Compliance with daily, home-based collection of urinary biospecimens in a prospective, preconception cohort — Cox et al., Environmental epidemiology
- urine
- self-collection
- fertility
2019
The assay quantifies salivary progesterone with a 5.5 min run time, LLOQ 20 pmol/L, CV and bias <11%, and mean recovery 91%, and it was applied to profile progesterone across the menstrual cycle and during the luteal phase in women, enabling high-throughput, home-based hormone monitoring.
A novel high-throughput assay for the measurement of salivary progesterone by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry — Schiffer et al., Annals of clinical biochemistry (paywalled)
- saliva
- liquid
- validation
- fertility
- hormones
2019
Matched fingerstick capillary blood samples showed near-perfect agreement with venipuncture across anti-müllerian hormone, estradiol, FSH, LH, prolactin, testosterone, TSH and free T4, with correlations of 0.99–1.00 and minimal bias, supporting interchangeable use and enabling virtually painless at-home testing for fertility hormone assessment.
Concordance of Fingerstick and Venipuncture Sampling for Fertility Hormones — Burke et al., Obstetrics and gynecology (paywalled)
- blood
- capillary
- validation
- venous-agreement
- fertility
- hormones
2019
In this pilot study, a home-based urinary PDG test achieved 100% specificity and 85-88% sensitivity for confirming ovulation against serum progesterone. With half of participants finding the test easy to use, the results support further development of decentralised fertility monitoring, though a larger trial is needed for definitive validation.
Pilot observational prospective cohort study on the use of a novel home-based urinary pregnanediol 3-glucuronide (PDG) test to confirm ovulation when used as adjunct to fertility awareness methods (FAMs) stage 1 — Leiva et al., BMJ open
- urine
- self-collection
- acceptability
- fertility
- hormones
2019
A urine progesterone self-test using a 5 μg/mL threshold confirmed ovulation in 82% of cycles, compared with 59% when a 7 μg/mL threshold was used. This pilot study shows that home-based urine testing can reliably detect luteal phase progesterone rise, supporting decentralised fertility monitoring.
Pilot Evaluation of a New Urine Progesterone Test to Confirm Ovulation in Women Using a Fertility Monitor — Bouchard et al., Frontiers in public health
- urine
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
2019
In a pilot of eight perimenopausal women, daily self-collected saliva assays and online symptom questionnaires showed that progesterone modifies estradiol’s association with binge eating and body dissatisfaction, broadly aligning with data from younger women. This demonstrates that decentralised hormone monitoring can capture clinically relevant symptom fluctuations, supporting the feasibility of remote studies in midlife women.
Ovarian hormones influence eating disorder symptom variability during the menopause transition: A pilot study — Baker et al., Eating behaviors (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
2018
Afternoon salivary cortisol concentrations were significantly higher when collected in the laboratory than when self-collected at home, indicating that collection setting materially influences results. No significant differences were found across menstrual cycle phases or by relationship status, suggesting these factors do not confound basal cortisol measurements in healthy women.
Salivary Afternoon Cortisol and Relationship Status in Healthy Women with Regular Menstrual Cycles — Wilson et al., Women's reproductive health (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- fertility
- hormones
- cortisol
2018
Among 250 infertile Iranian men, self-collected first-void urine enabled decentralised detection of Chlamydia trachomatis, yet infection status showed no correlation with sperm chromatin condensation or DNA fragmentation. The study validates first-void urine for remote STI screening in fertility assessment, while indicating sperm quality markers are independent of Chlamydia infection.
Effects of Chlamydia trachomatis infection on sperm chromatin condensation and DNA integrity — Dehghan Marvast et al., Andrologia (paywalled)
- urine
- first-void
- fertility
- serology
- sti
2018
The authors developed an inexpensive smartphone-based device that uses artificial intelligence to detect fern patterns in self-collected saliva samples, achieving over 99% accuracy in predicting ovulation. This approach offers a low-cost, patient-friendly alternative to urine hormone tests and basal body temperature monitoring for natural family planning.
An inexpensive smartphone-based device for point-of-care ovulation testing — Potluri et al., Lab on a chip (paywalled)
- saliva
- self-collection
- fertility
2017
In 250 Iranian infertile couples followed for 24 months, detection of Chlamydia trachomatis DNA in first-void urine, semen or serum antibodies did not predict tubal factor infertility, pregnancy rate or outcome. This indicates that patient-collected first-void urine screening for these organisms may have limited clinical utility in fertility assessment.
Relationship between Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium infection and pregnancy rate and outcome in Iranian infertile couples — Dehghan Marvast et al., Andrologia (paywalled)
- blood
- urine
- first-void
- fertility
- serology
- sti
2016
Young female cancer survivors aged 18 to 44 can successfully self-collect dried blood spot samples at home, with 91% submitting specimens adequate for AMH assay. This demonstrates feasibility of patient-centric, decentralised monitoring of ovarian reserve in geographically dispersed populations, though generalisability may be limited to highly educated, higher-income groups.
Self-collected dried blood spots as a tool for measuring ovarian reserve in young female cancer survivors — Roberts et al., Human reproduction (paywalled)
- blood
- dried
- dbs
- self-collection
- acceptability
- fertility
- hormones
2016
The study of 250 infertile men found that Chlamydia trachomatis infection detected in first-void urine by PCR was associated with lower semen volume, while seminal interleukin levels showed non-significant elevation. This supports the use of patient-centric first-void urine and blood samples for screening sexually transmitted infections in decentralised fertility diagnostics.
Semen inflammatory markers and Chlamydia trachomatis infection in male partners of infertile couples — Dehghan Marvast et al., Andrologia (paywalled)
- urine
- first-void
- fertility
- serology
- sti
2015
The study found that IgG seropositivity against Chlamydia trachomatis was significantly higher in infertile women than in pregnant controls (15% versus 0%), but PCR positivity in first-void urine was very low, with only one of 80 samples positive across all three primer sets. The authors concluded that serological screening is more diagnostically useful than first-void urine PCR for identifying chlamydial infection in infertile women in this setting.
Association of Genital Chlamydia trachomatis Infection with Female Infer-tility, Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Eastern India — Ghosh et al., The open microbiology journal
- urine
- first-void
- fertility
- serology
- sti
2015
The study found Mycoplasma genitalium in 16% of infertile women versus none in fertile controls, using first-void urine and other specimens. Detection in first-void urine supports decentralised screening for this STI in infertility assessment, particularly as most cases were asymptomatic and associated with tubal pathology.
Association of Mycoplasma genitalium with infertility in North Indian women — Rajkumari et al., Indian journal of sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS
- urine
- first-void
- fertility
- sti
2014
This study genotyped two oestrogen receptor gene variants in DNA from saliva samples of Serbian women and found no association with premature ovarian failure. The use of Oragene kits for saliva collection shows a practical method for obtaining DNA in genetic research on reproductive conditions, though these specific markers appear uninformative in this population.
Lack of association between ESR1 gene polymorphisms and premature ovarian failure in Serbian women — Li et al., Climacteric : the journal of the International Menopause Society (paywalled)
- saliva
- dna-genotek-oragene
- fertility
- genotyping
2014
First-void urine sampling detected Mycoplasma genitalium in only 2 of 145 infertile men and in none of 49 asymptomatic controls, a prevalence markedly lower than in other reported cohorts. This indicates that decentralised STI screening can produce unexpectedly low yields in certain populations, underscoring the need for local validation of patient-centric diagnostic strategies.
Unusually low prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium in urine samples from infertile men and healthy controls: a prevalence study — Plecko et al., BMJ open
- urine
- first-void
- fertility
- sti
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