How to Use the Persona Contraceptive Monitor Correctly

Understanding Your Menstrual Cycle is critical to charting fertility and predicting ovulation. Timing ovulation can be tricky as it may not always happen at the same time each month. When people try to avoid pregnancy by figuring out when they are most fertile, this is known as the 'Fertility Awareness Method' (FAM) of birth control.

How To Use Persona Correctly

• Each day, before going to the toilet, you should check your Testing Window. Always test your urine when you see a Yellow Test Light. 
• The Yellow Test Light must be shining before you insert a Test Stick into the Test Stick Slot. Always test with your first urine of the day.
• Always expect a Yellow Test Light on Day 6.
• Even if you forget to test on Day 6 conduct all the other tests requested.
• Never use a Test Stick more than once.
• Don't use Test Sticks that have been left unwrapped for more than a few minutes.
• Never mix Test Sticks from different batches in any one cycle.
• Never use out of date Test Sticks.

Persona Key Points:

• Hormone Free Reversible Contraception
• Assists in Identifying Ovulation to Aid Conception
• 94% Accurate When Used for Contraception
• Kit Contains Test Sticks and Small Hand-Held Monitor
• Replacement sticks readily available

Reliability as a Contraceptive Computer

Based on independent trials Persona is 94% reliable when used according to the instructions and as the only method of contraception. This means that if, "100 women use Persona for one year, six are expected to become pregnant as a", result of Persona incorrectly identifying their fertility days. Always read, the instructions before use.

Persona Disposable Test Sticks

The Persona Ovulation monitor works in conjunction with its disposable test sticks. These disposable test sticks can be purchased from us and most major chemists.

The sticks need to be held in the first urine stream of the day and the placed into the Persona monitor which will then test your sample and give you back a reading about your current fertility status.

Once the monitor has processed your sample, you are free to dispose of the test stick.

Important Notes

PERSONA must not be used by women:

• with cycles shorter than 23 days
• with cycles longer than 35 days
• who have experienced menopausal symptoms
• who are breast feeding
• who are using hormonal treatments, e.g.hormonal contraception, fertility treatments, hormone replacement therapy
• who are using any other treatments which may affect their cycle
• who have impaired liver or kidney function or polycystic ovarian syndrome
• taking antibiotics containing tetracyclines ( except oxytetracycline and doxycycline which CAN be used ). If you have any doubts about whether the antibiotic you are taking contains tetracyclines, please consult your pharmacist or doctor

Persona is not recommended for women for whom pregnancy is totally unacceptable.

If you have recently been or are currently: using hormonal contraception (e.g. the pill, IUS, implants, injection) or using treatments that affect your cycle (e.g. emergency contraception) you MUST FINISH taking the medication as instructed by your doctor, and then MUST WAIT until your cycles return to normal, i.e. until you have had at least two natural consecutive monthly cycles, each lasting 23-35 days, and your third period starts, before using Persona. If you do not wait, the reliability of Persona will be significantly reduced.

If you have recently been:

• pregnant (even if not carried to full term)
• breast feeding

you MUST WAIT until your cycles return to normal before using Persona, see above.

PERSONA MUST BE USED ACCORDING TO THESE INSTRUCTIONS. NO METHOD OF CONTRACEPTION CAN PROVIDE 100% PROTECTION AGAINST PREGNANCY. PERSONA OFFERS NO PROTECTION FROM SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS OR HIV, THE VIRUS WHICH CAUSES AIDS. THE RELIABILITY OF PERSONA IS DEPENDENT ON ABSTINENCE ON 'RED' DAYS. THE RISK OF PREGNANCY IS CONSIDERABLY GREATER IF YOU HAVE SEX ON A 'RED' DAY EVEN IF YOU USE A BARRIER METHOD OF CONTRACEPTION, E.G. A CONDOM, FEMCAP etc. 

Are There Alternatives to the Messy and Costly Urine Tests?

The simple answer to this is "Yes". There are now a range of contraceptive monitors that don't require the standard urination test, but work on a woman's body temperature change during her monthly cycle.

The advantage of these monitors is there is no requirement to buy testing sticks each and every month. Contraceptive monitors such as cyclotest come with a built-in thermometer which you use to take a daily temperature reading which in turn identify ovulation. 20 seconds every morning and your done - no messy urine samples!

This temperature information is stored and recorded by the contraceptive monitor and from this information the monitor can tell you when your fertile and non-fertile days are.

Cyclotest 2 Plus is a real stand-out monitor. Not only does it use your temperature data to dentify ovulation but as an optional extra it's able to test accept LH hormone level test results, like Persona. This double-check feature is unique in contraceptive monitors currently available in Europe. The result is an accuracy of 99% against Personas 96%.  And if that's not enough reason to take a look at Cyclotest, within a years worth of normal use works out cheaper that a regular priced Persona.

For a comparison of Contraceptive Monitors, visit the Ethical Family Planning website.