When can I take a pregnancy test? How is a pregnancy test done?
Pregnancy is an important and often unexpected event in every woman’s life.
But even if pregnancy comes as a “surprise”, be sure to confirm or disprove your suspicions. And you can do that in seconds with a quick pregnancy test.
The rapid pregnancy test is a very useful, fast and inexpensive device that detects pregnancy (if any) as accurately as possible.
The erroneous result is minimized and the error rate is only 1%.
The most informative are digital and tablet tests (the strip is placed on a plastic device with two “windows”). However, the most popular are test strips, and therefore the price of the test does not affect the result.
If you have doubts after the test, you need to make an appointment with a gynecologist.
How does a pregnancy test work?
Despite the wide selection of pregnancy tests, the principle of action is the same – to determine the level of hCG (the first pregnancy hormone) in the urine.
It can be detected in the urine and blood of a pregnant woman.
How is a pregnancy test done?
A pregnancy test is done earlier than the first day of a missed period or approximately 2 weeks after the expected day of conception. The hCG hormone is not secreted until the zygote attaches to the uterine wall.
At the beginning of the test, you need to study the instructions for use. Although the principle of operation is always the same: one part of the test (paper) is immersed in a urine container, the other (with a chemical indicator) determines the result in the form of red / blue lines, the symbols are the words “+” / “-” or “yes” / “no”. Evaluation of the result is carried out after the time specified in the instructions (from 1 to 5 minutes).
Sometimes tests have mini pipettes for metered urine delivery, which is very convenient to use.
But it is not recommended to put the test just below the stream of urine, it will lead to an erroneous result.
If two stripes are determined at a time – an appointment with a gynecologist is required.
When is a pregnancy test done?
The level of hCG (the first pregnancy hormone) increases only after the fertilized egg is fixed on the uterine wall.
Therefore, a reliable pregnancy result can only be obtained on the 7th or 10th day of pregnancy.
The conclusion should be supported by a doctor’s opinion.
Delayed menstruation does not always indicate the presence of pregnancy, but it may be a better idea to get a test right away.
What to do if in doubt?
There are cases when a woman doubts the accuracy of a pregnancy test. For example, two different tests show different results, there is a bloody discharge (similar to menstruation), the scan responded positively, and there are no specific signs of pregnancy. Do not try to find the cause yourself, but make an appointment with a gynecologist and approach the problem comprehensively.
