title: A new diagnostic aid for natural family planning.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We have studied the use-effectiveness of salivary ferning as a diagnostic testing aid to natural family planning. We used PG/53, a pocket microscope.
  
  
  METHODS
  Use of natural family planning methods was studied in 32 women who used the new technology PG/53 to detect the fertile period. By this means the women observed their menstrual cycles and other markers of fertility, such as basal body temperature and appearance of cervical mucus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 32 women participating in this research, 28 women had a good salivary test with positive ferning by the microscope in the same period as other markers of fertility. In 4 cycles the ferning was uninterpretable as there was no correspondence with the cycle phase. Ferning began 1-2 days before cervical mucus appearance, and lasted a mean of 6.2 days. Ferning occurred, on average, 7.2 days before the first day of temperature shift.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a direct correlation between salivary ferning and fertile period. Salivary ferning may be used as a new parameter to aid women to detect the fertile period in combination with other symptothermal methods of ovulation detection. We now need further research in order to improve the use-effectiveness of salivary ferning.
authors.affiliation: Centro Ambrosiano Metodi Naturali, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barbato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pandolfi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guida
mesh_terms: D001831:Body Temperature; D002582:Cervix Mucus; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation; D012252:Natural Family Planning Methods; D010061:Ovulation Detection / Q000379:methods*; D012463:Saliva; D012648:Self Care