# Persona - European Choice



## starhalo (Jan 31, 2006)

I'm wondering if anyone here is familiar with this product called Persona (http://clearblueonlineshop.inon.com/...ctType=Persona). It is used widely throughout Europe as a form of birth control and/or fertility aid. I'm interested in the product and I'm curious if anyone here uses it. I know you can purchase it legally and have it shipped to you in the U.S., but can't really seem to find a way to do that. The link I attached it okay, but I know there must an easier way and, perhaps, cheaper way. Anyone know about this?


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## blissful_maia (Feb 17, 2005)

Never heard of it, but it sure seems as though it's just an OPK being marketed in another way?


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## starhalo (Jan 31, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *blissful_maia* 
Never heard of it, but it sure seems as though it's just an OPK being marketed in another way?










What's an OPK?


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## Kleine Hexe (Dec 2, 2001)

Yes, it's like an OPK. OPK=ovulation predictor kit.

When I lived in Germany I used one. I loved loved it. When we came back to the States I stocked up on the pee sticks. I only used it for about a year here (had my aunt send me the test sticks when I ran out) and then I decided to have a baby. I've been pg or nursing since then (almost 7 years now) and have never been able to use it again.

I'm pretty sure you can buy it through Canada.

Persona has been available in Europe for a very long time. It baffles me why it's not approved here in the States. However, I think the ClearBlue fertility monitor is the same thing. However, they just can't say it's for contraception....only for conception. But same method really.


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## starhalo (Jan 31, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Kleine Hexe* 
Yes, it's like an OPK. OPK=ovulation predictor kit.

When I lived in Germany I used one. I loved loved it. When we came back to the States I stocked up on the pee sticks. I only used it for about a year here (had my aunt send me the test sticks when I ran out) and then I decided to have a baby. I've been pg or nursing since then (almost 7 years now) and have never been able to use it again.

I'm pretty sure you can buy it through Canada.

Persona has been available in Europe for a very long time. It baffles me why it's not approved here in the States. However, I think the ClearBlue fertility monitor is the same thing. However, they just can't say it's for contraception....only for conception. But same method really.

Yeah, my SIL was the one who introduced it to me and she lives in Berlin. I wasn't sure if there was anything like this available in the U.S. or if you can buy it to be delivered here. So, the ClearBlue kit is the same?


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## blissful_maia (Feb 17, 2005)

I wonder if you could buy OPKs and just use them in this way?


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## starhalo (Jan 31, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *blissful_maia* 
I wonder if you could buy OPKs and just use them in this way?

That is what I want to get at myself. The product that I mentioned, Persona, will run me about $250. Then I came across this Lady Comp thing, which seems to do the same thing, and it cost around $400. Sooo, yeah kind of looking for something a bit more affordable.


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## blissful_maia (Feb 17, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *starhalo* 
That is what I want to get at myself. The product that I mentioned, Persona, will run me about $250. Then I came across this Lady Comp thing, which seems to do the same thing, and it cost around $400. Sooo, yeah kind of looking for something a bit more affordable.

You could get yourself enough OPKs for all your childbearing years for that price at www.early-pregnancy-tests.com!


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## starhalo (Jan 31, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *blissful_maia* 
You could get yourself enough OPKs for all your childbearing years for that price at www.early-pregnancy-tests.com!









Well, the idea is to use it as a contraceptive rather than fertility aid. I hate having to use the pill as birth control and would love to do away with them. Would these OPK's be useful for that?


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## blissful_maia (Feb 17, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *starhalo* 
Well, the idea is to use it as a contraceptive rather than fertility aid. I hate having to use the pill as birth control and would love to do away with them. Would these OPK's be useful for that?

Well, I think that's what Persona is (from what I can see on the web site). It predicts the time you'll ovulate, and then you don't have sex around that time.


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## starhalo (Jan 31, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *blissful_maia* 
Well, I think that's what Persona is (from what I can see on the web site). It predicts the time you'll ovulate, and then you don't have sex around that time.









Yeah, that is exactly what it does. I guess you could use the device for both purposes (contraception and conception). So, is that the idea behind the ClearBlue thing? It looks like it would be something to buy often rather than a monitor. Do they sell those as well? I wish I would have done this years ago...I hate being clueless.







:


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## texaspeach (Jun 19, 2005)

I think it's a really cool idea and love to pee on sticks







wouldn't the test strips get expensive in the long term? I think it would make a really good addition to symptothermal charting (I think the marquette model uses the clear blue monitor to supplement traditional charting)

the problem I have with it is unless you're also watching other fertility signs like cervical fluid/position you might not get enough warning. It detects the LH surge (and estrogen), right? and typically that peaks around 36 hrs pre-ovulation. if you have fertile cm before you get a 'peak' reading you're still fertile and sperm might be able to survive, but you might not know if you're just relying on the machine. It also looks like it bases your current cycle fertility partly on past cycle history, and while that's fine in part (I use some past cycle history rules and use FAM) because you aren't relying on a temp surge if you randomly ovulate much later say due to stress or illness, you might not realize it.

Of course, they might have those problems addressed on the website, I can't get the persona site to work


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## Kleine Hexe (Dec 2, 2001)

I've never seen the ClearBlue so I'm not sure if it has you test as often as the Persona.

DH loved my Persona. He called it the nintendo. And the days it predicted O it showed a little icon that looks like an olive...so he called them olive days. You've got green light, yellow light, red light, and olive days.

Green = good to go...no bc needed
Yellow= pee on stick and then it will change to green or red
Red = if you have sex use bc of some sort

DH loved green days. On red days we used condoms. I think he liked it more than I did.


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## LessTraveledBy (Feb 9, 2005)

I used to use one but it gave a large number of "no" days and was not as reliable as my own charting. Thus I stopped using it. Also, the sticks used to cost me almost 30 dollars per month. Not worth it to me.


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