JGI Seedcorn funding 2024-25: Sarah Koerner & Louise Millard
Body temperature changes across the menstrual cycle with a small rise indicating ovulation. New wearable technologies make it possible to track these changes continuously during the user’s sleep. This type of data can provide valuable insights into menstrual health patterns and cycle variability, offering researchers ways to study reproductive health in real-world settings.
What are the aims of the project?
This study investigates two distinct wearable devices: the OvuSense sensor, which is worn vaginally, and the Oura Ring a smart ring worn on the finger. Both devices are worn during sleep and measure body temperature to detect ovulation. The aims of this project are to (1) assess how similar the temperature measurements are between the two devices and (2) to explore participants experiences of wearing the devices for a research study.
What has been achieved so far?
We spent a considerable amount of time refining the study design to ensure it effectively addressed our research questions while being sensitive to the intimate nature of vaginal temperature measurements. One particular aspect that needed careful consideration was the duration of data collection. We had initially planned to collect data over the course of a single menstrual cycle. However, this approach would mean that participants were wearing the devices for different durations, which could make their feelings towards wearing the devices less comparable. We would have also needed to exclude those with longer cycles due to budget and time constraints of the project. Therefore, to ensure inclusivity and consistency, we instead opted for a fixed 40-night data collection period.
We also paid close attention to the language used in our study materials. We aimed to make all participant communications inclusive, and in particular used gender-inclusive language throughout (e.g. our study requires participants to have a vagina rather than identify as a women).
The design of our study is shown in the image below. Each participant is asked to wear both the OvuSense and Oura Ring devices during their sleep for 40 consecutive nights. They also complete questionnaires at the start and end of the data collection period. The first questionnaire collects clinical and demographic information, while the second questionnaire asks about their experiences using each device.
After receiving ethical approval, we began recruitment through university networks and successfully enrolled our target of fifteen participants. We have finished collecting data for seven participants and are in the process of collecting data for three participants, with five due to start in the next couple months.
To ensure good research practice, we have been developing a detailed data analysis plan before beginning any actual analysis. This pre-specified plan outlines how the data will be processed and analysed, helping to reduce bias and ensure transparency. We will compare nightly temperature readings from both devices to assess how closely they compare. Additionally, we will analyse questionnaire responses to evaluate how acceptable participants found each device, for example, how willing they would be to participate in future research studies using these devices.
Future plans for the project
Data collection is on track to conclude by November 2025. The next steps include analysing the collected temperature and questionnaire data and then writing up our findings for publication.
Our findings will help inform appropriate use of these technologies in future studies on reproductive disorders, menstrual health and fertility.
Contact Details
Blog post written by Miss Sarah Koerner sarah.koerner@bristol.ac.uk and Dr Louise AC Millard louise.millard@bristol.ac.uk.
Study researchers: Miss Sarah Koerner, Dr Louise AC Millard (PI), Professor Tom R Gaunt, Dr Kayleigh Easey, Dr Robyn Wootton, Professor Jon Heron.