Preganancy tests results

         The pregnancy tests results’ accuracy depends on the test’s type, and as you probably know, there are two types of tests : clinic ones and home ones. There is no big difference between these accuracy levels, as a clinic test has an accuracy of 100% and a home one (in most cases) has an accuracy of over 99%, but for getting such accurate result is necessarily to take the test at a proper time. What does a proper time mean? Well, for a clinic test it is fairly simple to find out because it’s not you who have to decide if it’s the correct moment to take it or not(as you have a doctor there who can tell you), but regarding the home test, the answer is a little more complicated.

         First of all, for the most accurate result, you can follow the doctors’ recommendation and take the home pregnancy test 2 weeks after ovulation, which means 2 weeks after the moment you think you have conceived, or you can follow the test directions and take it the day you have missed your period (if you have a missed one). But if you are too anxious and can’t wait so long, you can take it earlier, having the possibility to get a very accurate result if you consider some advice.

         Firstly, you have to know when it’s too early to take a test(the moment you surely get an inaccurate result); but for a better understanding you should also know how these tests work. They have to detect the presence and levels of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in a woman’s body, using her urine. This hCG, known as the pregnancy hormone too, appears in a woman’s body only when she gets pregnant (or when she takes some medicines which contain it); this hormone, from biological reasons, is not produced until 6 days after ovulation. That means there is no hCG in your body in those 6 days even if you are pregnant, so it’s useless to take a pregnancy test in this time frame because you will get a negative answer anyway, which can be a false one.

         So, the earliest moment you can get an accurate result is the 7th day after the moment you think you have conceived, but don’t take it as a rule, firstly because womens’ bodies act differently and then because there many mistakes could have been made, which could have compromised the test result; also, you have to know that there weren’t many women who have got an accurate result the 7th day. The best thing to do is to retest soon enough.

         As a conclusion, a pregnancy test is the best way to find out if you are pregnant or not, having the higher accuracy level (over 99%), accuracy which increases the later you take the test.

Related posts:

1. The accuracy of pregnancy tests
2. Is a pregnancy test accurate?
3. Can pregnancy tests be false positive?
4. When can I take a pregnancy test?
5. When I should take a pregnancy test?