10 Frequently Asked Questions About Pregnancy Test

1. How does a pregnancy test work?

A pregnancy test works on one principle - it detects a special hormone in the urine (home use tests) or blood (laboratory tests) called human chorionic gonadotropin (OXG). It is only produced during pregnancy. A non-pregnant woman cannot have it. From the time the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall, the level of OXG in the body doubles approximately every 2-3 days and peaks at 7-12 weeks of gestation. Its presence in the blood and urine is maintained for about three weeks after birth.

2. Can a pregnancy test be done during the day? What time of day is it best to spend?

Morning urine is usually used for a pregnancy test because it is more concentrated. However, there is a test that can be done both during the day and in the evening - the exact time does not matter. This is a flow test. They are very sensitive (look for the 10 mMe / ml mark on the package) and do not need to collect urine anywhere when using them - just put them under a stream.

3. Can a pregnancy test be wrong?

All guidelines state that pregnancy tests are 95–99% accurate. Therefore, there is a possibility that the result will be incorrect.

Hence, a false negative result (even if the test does not show pregnancy) can occur in the following cases:

• if you took the test too early and the level of OXG in your urine is still extremely low;
• test expiration date (carefully examine the packaging before purchasing the test);
• if you took the test incorrectly (read the instructions carefully, everything is written as simply as possible);
• if a large amount of fluid ingested prior to the test interferes with urine and lowers the concentration of OXG.

The test may also show a false positive result (no pregnancy, the test says yes):

• if you are taking infertility medications that contain OXG (usually in the form of injections);
• if there are dangerous tumors;
• a positive test result also indicates that the remains of the fertilized egg have been preserved in the uterus after premature birth or miscarriage.

4. On what day of the menstrual delay is it better to take the test? Does it make sense to take a pregnancy test before menstruation is delayed?

The sensitivity of pregnancy tests plays a big role. Typically, most tests have a sensitivity of 20–25 mMe / ml (international units per ml). They have the ability to detect pregnancy only from the first day of menstrual delay. However, there are more sensitive (10 mMe / ml) and, at the same time, more expensive tests that detect pregnancy before menstruation delay, which detect it approximately 7–10 days after conception. One week after the menstrual delay, any test will show pregnancy (if any). The level of OXG in the blood rises faster than in the urine, so pregnancy can be detected using a blood test for OXG even before menstruation (however, it should be 7 days after the approximate pregnancy date). The analysis can be performed in a women’s clinic or commercial laboratory.

5. How to use a pregnancy test correctly?

Pregnancy tests are different and should be used according to the instructions. For example:

Strip tests

These are the simplest, cheapest, and most common tests. The line should be lowered into the morning urine container for 10–20 seconds to a certain mark. The test should then be placed on a horizontal surface so that the result can be evaluated after a few minutes. If there is one line - you are not pregnant, if the test shows two lines - the pregnancy has occurred.

Tablet tests

Structured like strip tests. Only the paper strip is housed in a plastic housing. And pre-collected morning urine should be instilled into a special hole with a pipette attached to the test. One or two dashes on the test also speak to the result.

Flow tests

Their convenience is that there is no need to collect urine anywhere - just put the test under the stream. In this case, the urine does not necessarily have to be in the morning. Usually current pregnancy tests are more sensitive. In this case, two lines - a positive, one line indicates a negative result.

Electronic tests

In such tests, there is a special triple that absorbs the sample, which can be dropped into a container of urine or placed under a stream if desired. The result is read after 3 minutes. If the test says "+" or "pregnant" - you are pregnant, if "-" or "not pregnant" - no.

6. Why is the second line blurred?

Even if the test shows a blurred second line, it still means you’re pregnant, just that the OXG level in the blood isn’t that high yet. If in doubt, repeat the test in 3–4 days. The OXG level will be much higher and the line will look brighter then.

7. The best pregnancy test - what is it like?

The answer to this question may vary depending on what you need. If you want to know about your pregnancy as early as possible, it is best to have a blood test in the lab (at least 7 days after the date you are supposed to be pregnant). If convenience is important to you, someone prefers a flow test that is available during the day and doesn’t require you to collect urine anywhere. Unlike someone else, putting the test downstream seems like a daunting task, as it is easier for them to collect the urine in a special container and drop the cheapest paper test (strip test) on it.

8. Online pregnancy test - what is it?

At best, it’s just a hoax. In the worst case - to allow fraudsters to make money (for example, if it is necessary to send an SMS to a certain number before passing the test). Such tests will be different. Some suggest putting your finger on the blue square on the screen and if it turns red in a few minutes - you’re pregnant. Plus, even if you don’t put your finger on the screen, the square itself will turn red after a while. Other tests suggest answering a series of questions before making a judgment. For example, "Have you had unprotected sex lately?" and “Do you feel the mammary glands are irritated?”.

9. Does the test show extrauterine pregnancy?

If the fertilized egg is attached outside the uterus, a simple pregnancy test will still show a positive result. True, if not intervened in time, the pregnancy outside the uterus itself stops at 7-8 weeks, and all this is accompanied by blood loss, pain and serious problems for women's health. In order to avoid this, it is better to detect early signs of ectopic pregnancy in advance and terminate such pregnancy in the hospital. Extrauterine pregnancies, especially abdominal cramps and bloody discharge on the background of a positive pregnancy test may be indicated. If you experience these symptoms in yourself, see a gynecologist immediately. She will perform an ultrasound scan, if the pregnancy is outside the uterus, there will be no fertilized egg in the uterus, but the epithelium will be enlarged as in a normal pregnancy. If you are in the risk group (inflammation of the ovaries, if you have had an ectopic pregnancy before), it is better to perform a qualitative blood test on the dynamics. In ectopic pregnancies, OXG levels in the blood are lower than normal, and the test shows this immediately.

10. What period of pregnancy does the test show? Does the test show the week of pregnancy?

Neither the linear test, nor the tablet, nor the streaming, nor the electronic tests will show you the duration of your pregnancy. They are only qualitative - "yes" or "no". But it is still possible to know the approximate duration of pregnancy if a quantitative blood test is performed in the laboratory. It determines the exact level of OXG in the blood, after which the doctor can tell you which week of pregnancy it is. Carrying out such a test is especially useful for early detection of stillbirths. If the embryo stops developing, the OXG level also stops growing, and this is evident in this analysis.