Science / Medicine : Avoiding Pregnancy

A test that tells a woman when she can have sex without using artificial birth control to avoid pregnancy has been developed by a biotechnology company that said it will be at least a year before it gains regulatory approval.

Monoclonal Antibodies of Mountain View, Calif., has released details about the test, which it said provides valid results only during the second half of a woman’s monthly cycle, after ovulation.

The test, which Monoclonal said will sell for $3 to $5 per test when it is eventually marketed, measures progesterone levels to tell women when ovulation has happened. When the hormone level is high, it indicates that ovulation has taken place and conception is no longer possible. The test involves putting a spot of urine on a pad. If the progesterone level is high, the sample shows no color. If the test sample turns blue, a woman would be liable to become pregnant.