What To Expect From A Home Pregnancy Test

A home pregnancy test is a quick and efficient way of finding out if you're pregnant. They have a high accuracy rate (about 97%) and are available from most drugstores. If you are unsure how a pregnancy test works, read on!

How does a home test work?

When a woman is pregnant, she starts developing a hormone called HCG. Basically, these tests measure the amount of this hormone in your urine. Home pregnancy tests vary in sensitivity so depending on the one you have purchased, some may detect pregnancy earlier on than others. If you are unsure to this, read the instruction or back of packs and they should be able to tell you how sensitive that particular home test is.

When to take a pregnancy test

There is no one answer as to when to take a pregnancy test. Again, this is dependent on the particular brand of pregnancy test you purchase. Some tests state they are able to detect pregnancy as early as six days after ovulation but the most accurate tests are those that detect pregnancy about 14 days after ovulation. For most women, this falls mid-way through their ovulation cycle. Even if your menstrual cycle is very regular, it is safest to wait at least a week after your period was last due before taking a pregnancy test. This ensures the most accuracy.

How accurate are home pregnancy tests?

Research suggests that pregnancy tests are about 97% accurate. Although false positives can occur, this is very rare. As long as you follow the given instructions, these tests should give you a reliable result. Taking a test before your period is due is not recommended. As aforementioned, for the most reliable results, it is best to take a test after your last period is due. Negative tests which later on turn out to be positive are generally not due to the product being faulty or unreliable, but rather, the test was probably taken too early. Of course the most accurate way to find out whether you're pregnant is to see a doctor.

Should I take a home pregnancy test?

If your period is late or if you are suffering from possible morning sickness and sore breasts, more than likely you are pregnant. Before taking the next big step in seeing a doctor, taking a home test is a great alternative. If your period is late, this means that you are already post-ovulation and this is the best time to take a test.

Remember that whilst the pregnancy test is very reliable, it is customary to go see a doctor to confirm the results and to wait the 3 month safety period before announcing the news.

Article Source: http://www.dailynewarticles.com

Article written by Sarah Mitchell of NamesToBe.com (www.namestobe.com). Here is another article readers may be interested in: www.namestobe.com/getting-pregnant.html. View all our articles here: www.namestobe.com/baby-articles.html. Article free for reprint as long as this author bio is present and all hyperlinks remain active.


Hot Topics In Women Health

    Home Remedies for Vaginal Yeast Infection

    Vaginal Yeast infection in women is very common. Yeasts or Candida fungus are minute organisms that live in small numbers on human body. Yeast infection occurs when the number of these organisms incre...

    Does Laser Hair Removal Hurt?

    Permanent hair removal has been available in some form for 125 years; the first electrolysis machine was invented in the late 1800s by an ophthalmologist who used the device to treat ingro...

    A Special 50th Birthday Night

    Last night, I received a phone call from a lady friend. It was the eve of her 50th birthday, and even though she is much better adjusted than most, it was still a big deal for her.

    I...

    How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy?

    If you're pregnant, you're very likely concerned about the amount of weight you're gaining, the effect it has on your body, even how difficult it will be to take off after your pregnancy. ...

    Bloating and PMS!

    Copyright 2006 Pauline Houle

    As a therapist working with women for over 15 years, I noticed that a significant number of women would not even think of introspecting their PMS during a therapeutic se...

    What To Expect From A Home Pregnancy Test

    A home pregnancy test is a quick and efficient way of finding out if you're pregnant. They have a high accuracy rate (about 97%) and are available from most drugstores. If you are unsure h...

    HRT, Breast Cancer, And Bioidentical Hormones

    The symptoms of menopause are akin to labor pains in that they feel like they will go on forever, yet they herald the birth of new life. In fact, whilst perimenopause lasts a lot longer - from 5 to 10...

    Menopause and Anxiety - How to Bring Natural Relief

    Even though menopause is a natural stage that happens in life of a woman, it often creates anxiety due to misunderstanding of physiological changes. Menopause and anxiety should be understood as cause...

    Your First Time Brazilian Bikini Wax

    First, you must be sure that you want to get a brzailian bikini wax. Consider trying first the standard bikini wax which will remove the hair from your bikini line or the full bikini which...

Most Recent Women Health Supplements

Newly Popular Health Articles

    How To Treat Sleep Deprivation Using CPAP

    Treating sleep deprivation using CPAP is considered as an effective treatment strategy. Sleep derivation is the condition in which the patient cannot experience a continuous sleep. It is considered to...

    Plantar Warts Explained

    Warts (including plantar warts) are a viral (verruca vulgaris) infection of the skin. They are contracted by coming in direct contact with the virus.

    If you've ever stepped barefoot into a locker ro...

    Is Lasik Surgery Covered By Insurance?

    Lasik surgery is an eye vision correction method that has been growing in popularity. Lasik surgery can greatly improve eyesight, eliminating the use of eye glasses or contact lenses. It's a relativel...

    How Much Does Laser Eye Surgery Typically Cost?

    The cost of laser eye surgery can vary greatly depending on the type of surgery to be performed, the patient's prescription, the equipment used, and the doctor or surgical provider in question. There ...

    Diet And Sperm Quality

    There comes a time in most committed relationships where couples decide that they want to bring a child into the world. Visions of chubby newborns dance in the heads of baby's mom and dad while hopes ...

    Diet Soda; Is It Good Or Bad If You Are On A Diet?

    The debate over whether diet soda is a dieter's friend or a dieter's enemy seems to become more heated every day.

    One side is saying diet soda is a great beverage for people trying to lose weight an...

    Functional Food: Preventing Diseases and Promoting Pet Health

    Food and diet play an important role in health. Every day, research in fields such as epidemiology and nutritional biochemistry teach us more about this relationship. Through scientific investigation ...

    Mosquito Bites - Remedy And Repellents

    It's a nice summer day and you're relaxing in your yard. Suddenly, you feel something bite you. You may begin to itch, when another bite takes place, and then another. It's those pesky mosquitoes agai...

    A Brief History Of Hip Replacement Surgery

    Hip replacement is a medical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a synthetic implant. It is the most successful, cheapest and safest form of joint replacement surgery. The earliest recorde...

    A Practical 12-Month Organic Living Plan

    We can talk and think about something until cows fly!

    But it's what we actually DO, that matters; that creates results.

    If you've been thinking and talking about eating and using more organic prod...

Interesting Today:

Most Recent Health Blogs:

Releated to Health:

Women Health Links: