Tympanic thermometry for recording basal body temperatures

Abstract

Evaluation of 12 menstrual cycles using oral, rectal, and TM temperature measuring devices (over 2,000 individual readings) confirmed the ovulatory thermal shift was equally detected with TM thermometry compared with the traditional methods. Although a single TM reading was satisfactory, an average of three successive readings provided a smoother graph (decreased variance). The device appears acceptable, and even preferred, for recording BBT charts, primarily because of its nearly instantaneous readings.