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You’ve been using your ovulation predictor kit (or OPK) to try and get pregnant, but for the last five days, you’ve seen a positive OPK test every day. What does it mean, and what should you do?
What does a positive OPK mean?
When used correctly, ovulation predictor kits are 99% effective at detecting surges of luteinizing hormone (LH) that triggers ovulation.
They work simply, too. One control line always appears to ensure the test kit is working. A positive OPK (or positive LH surge) is signaled by a second line in the display window that’s as bold as or bolder than the control line.
As we noted earlier, your maximum chance for pregnancy occurs in the three days leading up to and including ovulation. You may have up to a 33% chance of becoming pregnant during this time, as long as you have no other health issues.
If you see a positive OPK, it means you should start getting busy! Having sex during the three days immediately after a positive test increases your chances of getting pregnant.
Why do I keep getting a positive OPK?
Typically, people will see a positive OPK for a few days after their initial positive test. Most women experience it for up to 72 hours, when the LH surge is still present in their urine. In fact, we almost always have a small amount of luteinizing hormone in our urine. This is why the test comes with a control line.
Overall, you generally shouldn’t be concerned if you’ve been getting a positive OPK for a few days in a row. It will continue to test positive throughout the surge. You can stop testing after the first initial positive.
If you’re consistently getting positive OPKs for four or five days, first make sure that you’re using the test correctly. Read all package instructions. Make sure the test line is as dark as, or even darker than the control line.
You can also double-check your fertility window by tracking your basal body temperature and cervical mucus consistency.
What causes false positives?
While a few days of positive OPKs are nothing to worry about, there can be some conditions that lead to your test incorrectly detecting the LH surges that trigger ovulation.
Women who have polycystic ovary syndrome may experience false small peaks of LH. Those who have recently hit menopause or were recently pregnant can have false positives, too.
The American Pregnancy Association also notes that some prescription drugs can also affect your results. These include:
- Pergonal
- Danazol
- hCG injections, such as Profasi or APL
- Clomid
- Serophene
If you’re taking any of these medications, talk to your doctor about the best time to test for ovulation.
Finally, you may be experiencing four or five days of positive OPKs if you’re already pregnant.
I could be pregnant?!?
An ovulation predictor kit shouldn’t be used as a pregnancy test, but some women realize they’re pregnant after a few sustained days of positive OPKs. This is due to how pregnancy and ovulation tests work.
As noted, OPKs test surges of LH in your urine. A pregnancy test detects the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Both of these (LH and hCG) are known as glycoproteins, and share similar protein components. They’re so similar, in fact, that ovulation tests are sometimes unable to distinguish between them. If you have enough LH or hCG in your urine, your ovulation predictor kit may read either as a positive.
What should I do?
If you’ve had five days of positive OPKs, and your doctor has confirmed that you don’t have any complicating factors, take a pregnancy test. Wait until you miss your period to reduce any false negatives from testing too early.
Otherwise, know that the body is wonderful and complicated. A prolonged positive OPK is likely nothing to worry about.
For more posts about getting pregnant, follow The Fertility Institute blog today. If you’re in Louisiana, contact The Fertility Institute today to talk to one of our fertility doctors about your pregnancy journey.
