Development, validation, and application of a rapid method for detection of ovulation in great apes and in women.

A rapid hemagglutination inhibition test for detection of pregnancy in nonhuman primates has been modified to permit detection of the midcycle luteinizing hormone (LH) peak in hominid species. The test has been validated by correlation with immunoassayable LH activity in serum and urine. It has been used by the authors and others from prediction of ovulation in the gorilla, orangutan, chimpanzee, and human. This predictive capacity has been of value to experiments in natural breeding, artificial breeding, and ovum recovery. The test has potential value for monitoring of the normal menstrual cycle, enhancement of breeding efficiency, and identification of anovulatory cycles.