HOME PREGNANCY TESTING

A home pregnancy test measures the presence of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. HCG, which is produced in the placenta shortly after the embryo attaches to the uterine lining, builds up rapidly in your body in the first few days following implantation.

Usually hCG can be detected by a home-pregnancy test eight to 11 days after ovulation, the first day you miss a period. HCG levels peak between the 60th and 90th days of pregnancy.

Not all pregnancy tests are created equal. Some are more sensitive -- and consequently, more expensive, because they can detect pregnancy even if you have only a small amount of hCG in your system. Concentrations of hCG are reported in milliInternational Units (mIU) or amounts equal to 1/1000th of an IU per milliliter. A test with a sensitivity of 20 IU/L is more sensitive than one with 50 IU/L. You should be able to find this information on any home pregnancy test box.

Speaking of which, read the box carefully. Some tests require you to urinate in a cup and then, using a dropper, place a small sample into a testing well. Some let you pee directly onto a stick. Another thing to look out for is how your test of choice displays its results (positive or negative): Some show pink or blue lines on the test strip, while others reveal a red plus or minus sign in a window or change the color of the urine sample.

In most cases, you can check the results of your test in about five minutes. If you follow directions to the letter, home pregnancy tests are 97 percent accurate. But mistakes do happen, which is why some kits come with two tests. There are several reasons why a home pregnancy test may be negative: You may not be pregnant or your body may not be making a normal amount of hCG. If you test too early (before the first day of your missed period), you may get a false negative result because not enough of the hormone has built up in your system. If the test comes back negative but you still suspect you're pregnant, wait a few days, read the directions carefully, and try again. False positives, when the test says you're pregnant but you're not are rare.



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