There are many conception devices on the market today that can be used for predicting ovulation so that sperm can be introduced into the reproductive tract of a woman at the appropriate time, whether by sexual intercourse, including NI or by artificial insemination.
Introducing semen into the vaginal cavity during the ovulation time, called 'timing of intercourse' or 'timing of artificial insemination', is important for achieving a pregnancy.
To use it a woman spits onto a glass slide to observe when salt crystals are forming to identify when she is ovulating.
Using a basal thermometer in connection with a chart over several months should show the best times when conception can take place and enable the planning of intercourse or artificial insemination.
However, times may vary slightly each month so that the user will need to check her temperature continually to ensure that she has the most accurate information.
For this reason, some women prefer to use the basal thermometer in conjunction with other methods to ensure complete accuracy.
[10] A conception cap may also be used after intercourse or artificial insemination by e.g. a needle-less syringe, and serve to keep the semen in place against the cervix.
However, a variation is a conception cap to which a narrow tube is attached through which liquefied or frozen and thawed donor semen is inserted by means of a catheter.
The advantage of this type of device is that it is inserted empty into the vagina and can be positioned around the cervix without risk of seepage of sperm.
This device is growing in popularity because its use ensures that the donor's semen is deposited as close as possible to the cervix, and it can be kept there while the woman goes about her normal activities for several hours to aid conception.
Semen collectors are sheaths (condoms) made specifically for conception and approved by the FDA.
Male collection kits are used for sending semen to a laboratory for analysis, for sending semen to a partner for artificial insemination if the male is absent, and, most commonly, by private sperm donors or sperm donors donating through an agency.
However, if sperm is being supplied by a private donor, the use of a collection kit does not guarantee that the sample actually derives from a particular person.
A needle-less syringe may be used to insert donor or partner sperm into the vagina for intracervical inseminations (ICI).
This device enables sperm to be more accurately deposited near to the cervix or, in the case of IUI, directly into the womb.
Sperm-friendly lubricants have been developed which specifically aid conception by creating a chemical balance in the vagina which is conducive to fertilisation.
The lubricant may also be applied to a needle-less syringe or conception cap filled with sperm before it is inserted into the vagina.
When used for sexual intercourse, sperm-friendly lubricant may be applied to the donor's or partner's penis, as well as directly into the vagina.