Detection of the LH surge for AID, AIH and embryo transfer using a twice daily urinary dip-stick assay.

The detection of the spontaneous LH surge in 12 infertile women being monitored for transfer of frozen-thawed or donor embryos was studied using plasma radioimmunoassay (RIA), urinary RIA and a dip-stick enzyme immunoassay. Ten of the 12 women had plasma LH surges and in all but one woman the dip-stick assay detected the LH surge to within 12 h of the plasma RIA. The urinary RIA detected the LH surge in only six of the 10 women. In two of these cases the surge was detected 24 h and 36 h later than by plasma RIA. The dip-stick assay has many advantages and could be usefully integrated as a mode of monitoring ovulation in infertility therapy.