pearly® FAQ's

For your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most frequently asked questions directed towards us regarding pearly®. These were published for information purposes only and are not a substitute for reading the manufacturer’s instructions thoroughly, which come with each pearly® kit.

Is pearly® right for me?

Yes! pearly® is appropriate for every woman and at any time. If you would like to get to know your natural cycle better and experience sexuality naturally, then pearly® is an excellent choice for you!

Is it possible to start using pearly® immediately?

Most likely, but it depends on which form of contraception you were previously using. Please read the instructions as well as those found in each pearly® kit.

Using pearly® after the pill

If you have been using the hormonal pill up until now, you must stop taking it before taking temperature readings. Since the pill prevents ovulation, your temperature does not increase significantly enough to be identified by pearly®. The bleeding which occurs during the 7-day intake break has nothing to do with your cycle.

The first bleeding after stopping the pill is not real menstruation, but a withdrawal bleeding, which is the same as the 7-day pill break. In most women the first "real" menstruation occurs approximately 4–8 weeks after stopping the pill.

You can begin using pearly® after coming off the pill. If you have taken the pill for an extended period of time, experiencing your natural cycle with contraceptive monitors like pearly® can be very exciting!

Using pearly® after the coil (IUD)

Although you can start using pearly® right away if you have a copper coil (IUD), it is highly recommended to remove the coil first. If you have a hormone coil, this must be removed first before beginning to take your temperature.

Why aren't pearly® and other fertility devices recommended more by doctors?

The issue with the doctors is an interesting one. On the NHS the pill is promoted as policy. For a country with a social and a health bill to pay related to every unwanted pregnancy, the cheapest way to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies across the nation is the pill. When you look at observation based contraception such as Pearly the failures come about through user discipline (or lack there-of).On an individual basis I'm sure your partner is able to take a temperature every day she wakes up and respect the 'red light days' but it's not too hard to imagine more reckless users forgetting to check if it's a 'red day' or not and since they wouldn’t be habitually using other methods of contraception (which is the goal with these methods) the scope for user related failure would increase.

On the other hand if all you had to remember to do was take a pill most mornings, the user related failure rate would be lower.

So when numbers are crunched, the cost to the NHS of the pill, the reduced social cost of unwanted pregnancies and so on, the figures balance with the pill.

That's not to say that all doctors don’t understand or promote Fertility Awareness methods. Their basic medical training confirms this to them. It's just how pro-activeley they do this.

How can I use the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) in order to aide in conception?

The length of the monthly cycle varies upon each woman individually. In order to recognize your personal cycle, fertility monitors measure your Basal Body Temperature (BBT) each morning. A subtle change in your BBT signifies ovulation. By charting the length of your cycle and the day of ovulation, fertility monitors, such as pearly are able to create a pattern that displays when you’re likely to become fertile in the coming months.

Essentially, fertility awareness comes down to using your own knowledge about your body in order to make fertility-based decisions. In order to get pregnant, you will have to differentiate between your fertile and non-fertile days and then have intercourse on your most fertile days. Using fertility awareness is a great way to because it doesn’t involve any hormones or pose any health risks to you or your unborn baby.

What happens if I want to get pregnant?

All of our cycle computers reliably show the fertile and infertile days of your cycle. If you want to use pearly® to become pregnant, do not use contraceptives on your "red" days, when you have the highest chances of getting pregnant.

What happens if I have a service issue?

RDO Medical, the operator of this website has chosen to no longer be an official distributor of the Valley Electronics range of devices. However we will support our faithful customers who have bought these devices from us over the years in any way we can but service issues will not be handled by us. Please do contact us as there are many things that we can resolve quite quickly however physically servicing the devices will ultimatley be the responsibility of the manufacturer.

Are there other similar monitor on the market?

Yes. From Valley Electronics, the manufacturer of pearly® you can buy the Lady-Comp® which is a larger device but has a longer lasting rechargable battery, a removable thermometer and an LED display, which can be read in the dark. The RRP is 495euros or about 400 pounds. There is also the Persona which relies on urine tests for a week or two every cycle which is quite cheap for the device but has the recurring cost of the test sticks to concider. There is also the cyclotest which is costs less than 200 pounds and has the optional ability to include hormone test results and cervical mucus observations for the really enthusiastic FAM practitioners, but can simply rely on BBT readings also.

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