Are you experiencing some symptoms of pregnancy? Well, then it is time to get a home pregnancy kit and check if you are indeed pregnant! This will no doubt be one of the most exciting times of your life. However, before you get a home pregnancy test, you need to learn everything there is to know about how these tests work, what the earliest time that you can try them is, and how to make sure if you are using them the right way.

That is where this post comes into play. This post answers all the questions you have about a home pregnancy test. Would you like to know more? Keep reading.

How Does A Home Pregnancy Test Work?

The presence of a hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is detected by home pregnancy tests (1). This hormone is present in your urine. Cells produce hCG, and it later develops in your placenta. Firstly, this hormone makes its way into your bloodstream after the fertilized egg gets implanted in your uterus’ lining post fertilization. Over the next few weeks, there is a rapid increase of the hormone in your body. This amount can even double every two days. When the home pregnancy test detects a certain amount of hCG, you will get a positive result.

Are Home Pregnancy Tests Accurate On The Day You Miss Your Period?

Most home pregnancy tests claim to be more than 99% accurate, and give the implication that they can be used as early as the day when you miss your period. However, according to the findings of a recent study, some tests are not sensitive enough to be able to guarantee an accurate result at such an early stage.

Researchers have studied the different brands of home pregnancy tests, both digital and non-digital, which are available in the market. They found that only a very few of them could provide accurate results on the day of the missed period. Therefore, if you want to get an accurate result from your test, you should wait for a few days to a week after your period due date before getting a home pregnancy test done.

When Exactly Should You Take A Home Pregnancy Test?

As mentioned earlier, shortly after an egg is fertilized, it gets implanted in the lining of your uterus and hCG production begins in your placenta and enters your urine and bloodstream. The amount of this hormone increases during the early stages of pregnancy. A majority of home pregnancy tests can detect this hormone in your urine reliably, one week after you miss your period. Hence, getting yourself tested a week after the first day of missing your period is best, as the chances of getting an accurate result are better.

If you want to confirm your pregnancy as soon as possible, you should consult your doctor and ask for a blood test. This will help in detecting hCG in your blood. Blood tests are more sensitive than urine tests, and hence, it is a better way to confirm if you are pregnant.

Are All Home Pregnancy Tests The Same?

The answer to this question is no. There are different types of home pregnancy tests available in the market. However, they do work in a similar way. To find out if you are pregnant, one of the test stick needs to be placed in the stream of urine or immersed for 5 to 10 seconds in a container in which the urine has been collected. You will need to wait for a few minutes before the results of the test show up. The result could be a change in color, a minus or plus sign, a line or two appearing, or “pregnant” or “not pregnant” displayed on a screen or strip.

When you buy a home pregnancy test, you need to keep in mind that the instructions may differ from one kit to another. You need to make sure that you carefully read all the instructions so that you go through the required process the right way. If you have any questions about the results or how to take the test, you can contact the manufacturer. There will be a toll-free number or web address given on the package.

What Do The Instructions Tell You?

It is very important to read the manufacturer’s instructions on the home pregnancy test kits. They will provide you with information, which includes the following:

• What the test is used for and what it is not supposed to be used for
• How to properly collect and store your urine sample
• When and how the test needs to be run, including instructions regarding the timing
• How the test results should be interpreted
• What factors can interfere with the results of the test
• The manufacturer’s contact details in case of any queries or problems

The instructions provided on home pregnancy test kits are simple and easy to understand. They are made to ensure that you do not face any problems or confusion when you take the test. If you perform it according to them, you will get accurate results, making it easier for you to take the next necessary steps.

Can Medications Interfere With The Results Of Home Pregnancy Tests?

There are certain medications and drugs that can have an effect on the results of these tests. Fertility drugs can interfere with results, and so can medications that have hCG in them. However, most medications, including birth control pills, antibiotics, etc. do not affect the results of home pregnancy tests or their accuracy.

What Is A False-Positive Result?

Although it happens very rarely, it is possible to get a positive result from a home pregnancy test even though you are not pregnant. This is what is called a false-positive.

The causes of a false-positive include the following:

• You have a molar pregnancy or had a pregnancy termination or miscarriage in the past 8 weeks.
• You have taken a fertility drug (2), which contains hCG. Fertility treatments often use it for inducing ovulation.
• You suffer from a rare medical condition, such as one that involves a tumor that secretes hCG hormones.
• The test kit you are using has expired or is faulty.

Is It Possible For A Negative Result To Be Wrong?

There is always a possibility of getting a negative result after taking a home pregnancy test when you are actually pregnant. This is called a false-negative. It may surprise you to know that this is more likely to happen than a false-positive. You can get this result if:

A Test Is Taken Too Early:

As you already know, when you take a home pregnancy test too early after missing your period, it is harder for the hormone hCG to be detected (3). Your urine’s level of hCG is more likely to be detected one week after your missed period. Hence, it is best to take the test at this time. If you cannot wait, you should visit your healthcare provider and ask for a blood test to find out if you are pregnant.

Result Is Checked Too Soon:

Sometimes, in your hurry to find out if you are pregnant, you may not wait long enough to get an accurate result. It is important to make sure that the test is given sufficient time to work. Always wait for the time given in the instructions. Getting a timer is a great way to make sure that you give the test enough time to work.

Diluted Urine Is Used:

One of the other causes of a false-negative is diluted urine (4). You should avoid drinking water or other fluids before you take a home pregnancy test. It is recommended that you take the test in the morning before drinking anything, as this is the time when urine is at its most concentrated state.

What Precautions Need To Be Taken?

Regardless of the result of your home pregnancy test, you should visit your healthcare provider immediately if you experience the following problems:

• Abdominal pain, especially if the pain is a stabbing and sharp one in your abdominal area or on either side of your pelvis
• Abnormal bleeding
• Dizziness or fainting

If you have missed your period and experience problems that have not occurred in the past, you should consult your doctor. It may not have anything to do with a pregnancy, but could be the onset of a serious problem. This is why medical attention is highly important in this time.

Once The Test Is Taken, What Should You Do?

Based on the results of your test, you should take the following steps into consideration:

You Have Mixed Results Or Your Test Is Positive:

If you have taken more than one test and have mixed results, it can create a lot of confusion. If this is your case, you should consult your healthcare provider immediately. You may need to take a blood test or get a pelvic examination to confirm whether you are pregnant or not. If your test came out positive, visit your doctor immediately. The sooner there is confirmation of your pregnancy, the sooner you can start prenatal care.

Your Result Is Negative:

If you have missed your period, take the home pregnancy test again after a couple of days or a week. The negative result could be because you took the test before missing your period. It could also be because you took the test too soon after the first day of your missed period. Remember that an accurate result can be expected after waiting a week after missing your period.

Your Result Is Negative But Your Period Does Not Start:

If this happens, you need to consult your healthcare provider immediately. Pregnancy is not the only cause of a missed period. There could be other factors such as stress, illness, imbalance of hormones, weight loss and too much strenuous exercise. If you are not pregnant but are still missing your period, your doctor is the person who can help you get your menstrual cycle back to normal.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Home Pregnancy Tests?

A home pregnancy test is great as you get to find out whether you are pregnant or not right at home. It is also quite easy to take, provided you read the instructions carefully and thoroughly. However, it does come with a few drawbacks as well. These include the following:

• If you perform the test in an inaccurate manner, the result you get will not be accurate.
• If your urine does not contain enough hCG hormones, a false-positive result will be shown.
• If you are under certain medications, you will not get accurate results.
• Sometimes the lines in a home pregnancy test can be quite faint and this can cause a bit of confusion.
• If you perform the test too early, you can get a false result.

The disadvantages of home pregnancy tests are not major, so you do not have to worry about them. If there is any confusion or uncertainty, all you have to do is visit your doctor so that you can undergo a blood test to get an accurate result. If you have any health issues that are causing a missed period, your doctor will be able to provide you with the necessary care to get your menstrual cycle back to normal and make sure that you have a healthy, normal menstrual cycle.

How Do Home Pregnancy Tests Differ From The Ones In A Doctor’s Office?

Like in the pregnancy test you take at home, a majority of healthcare providers use urine to check if you are pregnant. However, they may also recommend a blood test. Blood tests are more in-depth as they can show the exact level of hCG hormones in your body. They are also used to see whether there are changes in these levels, or if anything is affecting them over time – for example, to tell whether you are having a miscarriage. The results of a blood test can take anywhere between one hour to one day to be obtained.

Making sure that you have all the necessary information regarding home pregnancy test kits is important. It will help you understand how they work, how to use them properly and how to get accurate results. Remember that you need to consult your doctor immediately after getting a positive result, so that you can begin prenatal care and prepare yourself for the journey into motherhood.

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by Maanasi Radhakrishnan via STYLECRAZE