For most of the women, the decision of when to take a pregnancy test might be a major source of anxiety. Sometimes the stress is because they don’t want to be pregnant. Sometimes it’s because they want to be. For those of women who are worried they’re pregnant, they may be considering a test because their period is late, or because they think they’re having pregnancy symptoms. Or, perhaps, they may be concerned their chosen method of birth control failed.
How soon can one take a pregnancy test?
Sometimes a pregnancy test is able to pointing pregnancy hormones in pregnant woman’s urine as early as ten days after unprotected sex. But these test results aren’t super reliable, and one may get a false positive or false negative test result, too. If anyone’s periods are very irregular, or they don’t get periods at all for one reason or another, their best bet for accurate results is to take a pregnancy test three weeks after sex.
Home pregnancy tests
A home pregnancy test or HPT can be used on the first day of their missed period. Some very sensitive tests are there, which can be used even earlier. These tests work by detecting the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin in pregnant woman’s urine. This hormone is only found in the body of woman during pregnancy. A chemical in the pregnancy test-stick changes colour when it comes into contact with this hormone. Waiting times will vary depending on the test-kit, but most take about 10 minutes to deliver an accurate result.
Clinical urine test
From different types of pregnancy tests, one can get a clinical urine test at their doctor’s chamber only. These tests aren’t typically more accurate than an HPT. However, their doctor may be able to help eliminate any possible errors that might affect the accuracy of that test. Depending on one’s health insurance plan, a clinical urine test might cost more than an HPT. Results of a clinical urine test may vary depending on the medical facility that one visit. However, one can usually expect their results within a week of taking the test.
Blood test
These tests are also taken at doctor’s chamber. A laboratory tests an expectant’s blood to detect hCG. There are following two types of pregnancy blood tests:
- Qualitative hCG blood test: It checks to see whether any hCG is being produced in the woman’s body. It gives a simple yes or no answer as to whether anyone is pregnant.
- Quantitative hCG blood test: It measures the specific level of hCG in the blood.
Types of pregnancy tests at home are generally accurate and will usually give sufficient results if anyone follows their instructions. However, a woman should get blood or urine tests to confirm if she thinks she got a false positive or negative. Depending on the results, talk to one’s doctor or partner about the steps she needs to take next. Pregnancy is an exciting time for most of the women. Learn as much as possible about how to take care of own and baby’s health, regardless of next step.
