Facts About Home Pregnancy Tests



These kits are 99% effective, if used as per instructions. Even a urine pregnancy test conducted by your doctor has the same level of accuracy. You can easily get a test kit over-the-counter. The biggest advantage of conducting tests at home is privacy.

Testing for pregnancy at home is easy. You just need to collect urine in a clean bottle. Put 1-2 drops of urine on the chemical strip provided in the kit through a dropper. The strip detects the presence human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This is a pregnancy hormone.

When you're pregnant, hCG hormone is released in the urine by your placenta. Many of the early pregnancy symptoms like sore breasts and morning sickness are due to this hormone. Pregnancy kits work by detecting this hormone in your urine, which shows traces about 10 days after fertilization. Therefore, a kit may give an incorrect result, if you take the test 10 days before conception. You might be pregnant, but the test may show negative.

Hence, it's best to wait for 5-10 days after you miss your period before taking a pregnancy test. If the test shows negative, take it again after a few days. If it's still negative, wait for some more days and call on your doctor for advice. You should not be content with testing just once. Test 2-3 times at intervals, and if it stills shows negative, you're NOT pregnant.

In some cases, the fertilized egg doesn't get implanted in the uterus, but makes its home in the fallopian tube. This condition is called ectopic pregnancy. In this situation, your pregnancy kit may not be able to detect hCG levels in the urine, as it might be low. Therefore, if you THINK you're pregnant, even if the test shows negative, consult your doctor. This is the time to go by your gut feeling! And yes, ectopic pregnancy is dangerous. Ask your doctor more about it.

3 Things To Remember While Taking A Test

*Collect the first morning urine (it's easy to detect hCG levels in such sample). If it is not possible, collect urine that was present in your bladder for 4 hours or more.

*Avoid drinking excess water or fluids before taking the test. Increasing the amount of urine may dilute hCG levels.

*Read and follow every instruction given in the kit carefully. Only then can you expect accuracy in the result.

*There are certain medications and fertility drugs that may meddle with pregnancy test results. For more information, check the labeling on kit or consult your doctor.

There are also highly sensitive pregnancy tests available in the market. They detect your pregnancy just 6-8 days after ovulation. But, their accuracy is low. Most of the women get accurate results only on testing 9-10 days after ovulation. Therefore, patience pays in case of pregnancy tests. Till then, arrange for the party!