Pregnancy Tests

Pregnancy tests are often the first resource a woman and/or couple turn to when there is suspicion of pregnancy. There are a variety of pregnancy tests available. Some pregnancy tests are designed for home use and some for laboratory use. Some pregnancy tests provide results that are simply positive or negative and some provide much more data. There is a difference in the costs of various pregnancy tests as well as a difference in both the time frame when a test is appropriate and the way in which the pregnancy test is administered and processed. Sometimes a pregnancy test is purchased over the counter on impulse and used at home and sometimes a pregnancy test is scheduled to take place at a clinic or doctor's office. Depending upon the results of a home test, a follow-up doctor's appointment is often scheduled for confirmation, pre-natal care or termination.

All of these options are very personal and decisions are made for many different reasons on how, when and where to have a pregnancy test and what to do after learning the results. Pregnancy tests have evolved over the years. But the home pregnancy test is a urine analysis. For a pregnancy test to return a positive result, there must be the presence of a hormone called, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the urine. And the home pregnancy test is designed to recognize this hormone. This is accomplished by either placing a drop of urine on a chemically treated strip or dipping a chemically treated strip into a urine specimen. The results of these home pregnancy tests are said to be about 99% reliable. This statistic is about the same as the reliability of a pregnancy test conducted in a doctor's office or family planning clinic.

It is recommended that the pregnancy test be conducted about ten days after possible conception, but it is more likely to produce an accurate result if done five to ten days after a missed period. It is most advisable to use first urine in the morning for best results. Although they are rarely used these days, blood tests can also determine an existing pregnancy. The drawbacks of using a blood test for pregnancy tests are that they are more expensive, they must be conducted at a lab and the results can take anywhere from a few hours to a day, whereas the urine type of pregnancy test produces results almost instantly. And of course, there is the fact that the urine tests can be used at home so they are less expensive and more convenient as well as resulting in immediate results.

As with anything that involves your health, although pregnancy is not typically a medical problem, it is always best to seek the wisdom of a midwife or doctor for monitoring and care. Having a Midwife or Obstetrician available for resources and any necessary referrals is important in case any unexpected or uncharacteristic circumstances that may arise. And if there is any doubt about the desire to carry a pregnancy to term, the earlier one seeks medical care, the better for many reasons.

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