While you may notice signs of a possible pregnancy before taking a test, a pregnancy test is how pregnancy is confirmed. Here are five things you need to know about pregnancy tests.
1. Types of Tests
There are a few different types of pregnancy tests available. The most common is the urine test, which is easy to use, cheap and can be done at home or at a doctor’s office. To do this test, you expose your urine to a test stick or test solution and wait a few minutes to see if the test comes back positive or negative. A positive test is typically indicated by a change in color. There are also two types of pregnancy tests that utilize blood samples. Similarly to the urine test, the qualitative hCG test determines whether you’re pregnant. The quantitative hCG test is more sensitive and can help doctors determine pregnancy stages or issues during pregnancy.
2. How They Work
All pregnancy testing works on the same principle of detecting human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) a hormone only present in the human body during pregnancy. Because the body only makes this hormone after fertilization occurs, it’s a definitive marker used to confirm pregnancy. This hormone can typically first be detected about six days after the egg has been fertilized, and levels of it steadily rise throughout the pregnancy.
3. When To Take Them
Generally, you want to figure out whether you’re pregnant early enough that you can take care of preparations and healthcare if it comes back positive, but not so early that you risk a false positive or false negative. The best time to take a pregnancy test is after a missed period, but you can take one at any time. If you have an irregular cycle, wait for about three weeks after having sex before taking a test. You should always read the label and instructions on your test before taking it. While many tests claim to be able to detect a pregnancy a few days after your missed period or after you had sex, these results tend to be less accurate than later tests.
4. Accuracy Rates
If used correctly, pregnancy tests are extremely accurate. Even at-home tests have a 99% accuracy rate. Keep in mind that you must follow the directions on the label of an at-home test or follow your doctor’s instructions when taking a test at his or her practice. Following proper procedure will result in a much more accurate result and reduce the risk of getting a false positive or false negative. Also keep in mind that some pregnancy tests do expire after a certain period of time and will not produce accurate results if taken after their expiration date. Be sure to check that date when you purchase or use an at-home test.
Pregnancy tests are an easy, accurate method of determining whether someone is pregnant. If you choose to take an at-home test, make sure you confirm with your doctor after you get the results.