Involving the male partner for interpreting the basal body temperature graph.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if the male cohabiting partner of a woman may serve as a control for exogenous influences on basal body temperature (BBT). METHODS: Twelve couples from the Atlanta area were enrolled for a total of 41 couple-cycles. Couples recorded their oral temperatures daily and used urinary test kits for luteinizing hormone to estimate the day of ovulation. The covariability between the pre-ovulatory temperature of the women and their partners was assessed. The gaps in the couples' temperatures (female temperature minus male temperature) were compared in the pre- and postovulatory phases. RESULTS: Considerable covariability was found between temperatures of partners in the pre-ovulatory phase (covariance parameter = 0.49; P <.001). The pre- and postovulatory temperature gaps for all couples were significantly different in size (P <.001). For all couple-cycles, the size of the mean postovulatory temperature gap was at least 0.3-degree Fahrenheit greater than the mean pre-ovulatory temperature gap. CONCLUSION: Recording the BBT of women's partners may improve interpretation and accuracy of the BBT method. An increase in the size of a couple's temperature gap accompanies the transition from the pre- to the postovulatory phase. By this method, a given couple could determine their unique temperature gap indicating this transition.