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A new device that measures
fertility could soon have Canadian women salivating. Literally. It's no larger than a lipstick
case and consists of nothing more than an acrylic slide, a tiny, powerful
microscope, a focus, and a handle. You simply lick the slide, let it dry,
and hold it up to the light: What you see, if you are ovulating or approaching
ovulation, is a phantasmagorical pattern of crystals resembling ferns,
which indicates fertility. Armed with the Luna, its makers insist, a woman
can "take control" of her cycle to settle the age-old question:
to conceive or not to conceive. Health Canada approved it as
a medical device in March. With a launch planned for the end of May, the
Luna is poised to storm the natural-family-planning market and, indeed,
the world. As Jim Emmerson tells it, the idea for the Luna clicked three
years ago, as he sat watching a late-night documentary about human fertility
on CNN. The 54-year-old divorced tradesman had no inventing or design
background, or even children of his own. Before starting up the small
construction company he owns in New Westminster, B.C., he'd spent much
of his working life as a surveyor with hydroelectric companies around
the world. In his spare time he tinkered
away at the Luna, named for the moon, and eventually came up with a prototype.
He approached banks and the government for backing, but no one would take
a chance. So he hit up some buddies, "all blue-collar people,"
he says, and over beers after work he talked a couple of dozen of them
into putting up the money to get Luna off the ground. So far he has sunk
$300,000 into research and development, half of it his own. "It's kind of like magic,"
says "J," a Toronto woman in her thirties who has been practising
natural family planning, or fertility awareness, for a few years, and
who recently tried the Luna. "I knew where I was in my cycle, but
the Luna really confirmed it. It seemed to be giving me accurate readings.
"And it's so simple,"
she adds. "I just grab it, lick the slide, and lie back down again
for a few minutes while it dries. I really didn't expect it to work. "It's almost like wearing
a mood ring," she laughs. "My boyfriend says he's starting to
find the sound of spitting in the morning quite erotic." In fact, the Luna (which comes
with detailed instructions and diagrams) is based on sound science. Throughout
her cycle, a woman goes through hormonal and mineral changes that show
up in bodily fluids such as cervical mucus and saliva. When viewed under
a microscope, both saliva and cervical mucus in the fertile period (roughly
six days around mid-cycle -- though every woman is different) show a distinct
pattern: the appearance of crystallized structures that look like ferns.
During the nonfertile period, the readings consist of shapeless dots,
or what scientists call "dotted structures." "It's not a contraceptive
in any way," says Melissa Gervais, vice- president of marketing at
Luna Fertility Indicator Inc. in B.C., which is promoting the Luna. "It's
an aid to detecting your fertility cycle." Emmerson is reluctant
to talk numbers, but an independent test on a similar, German-made device,
the PC 2000, had an accuracy rate of 97% when used and interpreted properly.
Luna's two biggest customers
so far (the device is available by e-commerce at www.lunafert.com) have
been women who are trying to get pregnant and people, such as Roman Catholics,
whose religion prohibits them from using birth control. "The Church has no prohibition
on knowing the way the body works," says Suzanne Scorsone, director
of communications for the Archdiocese of Toronto. "It's not only
accepted but encouraged in Catholic teaching. No one uses the rhythm method
any more. So a device that gauges fertility would be great, because then
people could regulate it knowingly without doing anything artificial or
invasive." The Luna sells for $64.95,
plus tax, and can last a decade -- about $6 a year. Still, it isn't for everyone.
Using the Luna requires some commitment and responsibility, and a willingness
to learn about the body. It's important to avoid smoking, liquids, and
solids for at least two hours before testing as this can distort the sample.
Also, disturbances in the upper respiratory system, such as colds, can
cloud the reading. But, for the non-squeamish, a dab of cervical mucus
on the slide should work just as well. The Luna will be available
soon at health-food stores and drugstores. But Emmerson is thinking globally:
His company has approached the World Health Organization to see about
making it available in developing countries. Distributors in Europe and
Mexico have expressed interest, and the Luna is currently awaiting FDA
approval in the United States. The Luna
can be ordered at 1-888-818-5862.
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