title: Basal body temperature: unreliable method of ovulation detection.
abstract: Basal body temperature (BBT) charts for menstrual cycles of 98 women were evaluated by six experienced physicians. The time of ovulation as estimated from the charts by a consensus of at least five of the evaluators coincided with the luteinizing hormone (LH) peak +/- 1 day in only 17 (22.1%) of the 77 cycles that were determined by endocrine profiles to be ovulatory and to have adequate luteal phases. An additional 22.1% of these cycles were thought to have monophasic patterns by a consensus of the physicians. Extreme caution in interpretation is urged when BBT is used for clinical or research evaluations of ovulation or menstrual cycle dynamics.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001831:Body Temperature; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008183:Luteal Phase; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008598:Menstruation; D010061:Ovulation Detection / Q000379:methods*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone