Persona - a natural contraception which works well with BBT charting (Persona)

Member Name: rrharmston

Product:	Persona
Date:	23/01/09 (610 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Natural, non invasive, indicates ovulating or not, good if you can't use hormonal contraceptives

Disadvantages: Monthly cost, can't use with irregular cycle

I'm unable to take the contraceptive pill due to migraines/crohns (having the runs most of the time can affect the pill!), can't use condoms due to an allergy and don't like the thought of the coil, cap or sponges.... At this point you are probably thinking that I have a mass of children but in my thirties I'm mum to one little girl. This method is not suitable for everyone so please read up on the internet before buying and its only suitable for women with a regular cycle otherwise it can't predict your fertile days!

There are eight test sticks in a pack. You simply check the monitor every morning to see what colour the light is. Green safe, red danger, yellow insert test stick. Simply wee on test stick and insert and leave until light stops flashing. Will then tell you green or red. IN my case first test was on day five and then again from about day ten for seven more days. ON the O days you can see a second intense band on the stick. The testing window is set by when you press the button on the day your period starts. I thnk you have a six hour testing window so press at a suitable time of day :)

CAN ALSO BE VERY USEFUL FOR TRYING TO CONCEIVE AS COMBINED WITH BBT BASAL BODY TEMPERATURE IT CAN HELP HIGHLIGHT PROBLEMS AND SUCCSESSFUL DAYS :)

"PERSONA consists of Test Sticks and a handheld Monitor. The Test Sticks collect hormones from the first urine of the day and process them into information that the Monitor can read. The Monitor reads, stores and uses the information from the Test Sticks to let you know whether you are at risk of becoming pregnant ('Red' Day) or free to make love without a contraceptive ('Green' Day). It is suitable for women in stable relationships, who are willing to accept an unplanned pregnancy, and who have a regular cycle of between 23 and 35 days in length." quoted from http://www.fertilityconnect.com/persona.htm.


Currently priced at about £50.00 for the monitor on the internet and then expect to pay around £9.00 for the month for test sticks. Available on ebaY as well as blushing buyer who are very reliable.

I've used the persona on and off for the last five years. I've read the other posts and have to say that I have a regular cycle of 28 days so maybe that's why it works so well for me. We are probably heading for too much information here but you can use the persona with other natural methods since as changes in fluid or height/texture of the cervix.

I would recommend that you use the persona in combination with a fertility thermometer which are much more accurate than normal thermometers and charts your cycle as your temperature increases post ovulation due to increased progesterone I think (not an expert plenty of information on the internet - search for basal body termperature or BBT). Thermometer and diary from boots approx £12.00. Have to take temperature at same time of day before getting up. Can also buy a small saliva microscope which has a ferning pattern on the leanse when you are fertile - failed to work for me!

When I decided to have a baby we simply went for it on red days and my daughter was conceived four months later. IF you are really organised with a regular cycle then you could simply monitor the cahnges in your own body using BBT and also ovulation sticks and make a note of the O days. The persona simply predicts a three or four day window either side of the ovulation days which become read. If you have a 28 day cycle it may read as days 1-10 (from period start) are green and safe, followed by eight red days, followed by green to end of cycle. In this case O days would be 13/14/15. This is only an example so don't quote me on this!!!!

I would recommend the persona to women with a regular, predictable cycle who would like to use a natural method. Used properly it works as well as the pill but if your cycle is not regular or if the ovulation days move in one month then you may end up pregnant as the persona relies on about three months previous data. Also can't be used as sole contraceptive for first three months for the same reason.

Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy ... by toni Weschler is a good book to look at for natural methods.

Sorry that review has tuned into an assay!!!!

Summary: Good method but you must pay attention to your own baody changes too