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How does a pregnancy TEST work?
All pregnancy tests work on the same principle — they detect a special hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in urine (home tests) or blood (laboratory tests). It is produced only during pregnancy. In a non-pregnant woman, this simply cannot happen (more precisely, it is possible, but only in special cases, which will be discussed below). From the moment the fetal egg is attached to the uterine wall, the amount of HCG in the body doubles approximately every 2-3 days and reaches its maximum level by 7-12 weeks of pregnancy. Its presence in blood and urine can be detected until the third week after the birth of a child.
When buying a pregnancy test, pay attention to its sensitivity. Typically, most tests have a sensitivity of 20-25 Miu/ml (international units per ml). They can recognize pregnancy only from the first day of the delayed period. There are more sensitive (but more expensive) tests (10 Miu/ml) that allow you to determine pregnancy 7-10 days after the expected conception. And after a week's delay, pregnancy (if any) will show any tests.
If you want to know if you are pregnant as quickly and accurately as possible, it is better to take a blood test at an antenatal clinic or a special laboratory.