PREGNANCY TESTS

PREGNANCY TESTS

How does a home pregnancy test work?

A home pregnancy test measures the presence of the hormone Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) in your urine. HCG is produced in the placenta shortly after the embryo attaches to the uterine lining. This hormone then builds up rapidly in your body in the first few days following implantation. The concentration of HCG in non-pregnant women is normally 5.0mIU/ml. At the time of the last missed period, urine HCG levels are about 100mlU/ml with peak levels of 100,000 to 200,000mlU/ml seen at 3 months. From the first day of becoming pregnant the level of HCG doubles every day for the first 3 months.

How early can pregnancy be detected with Clear & Simple tests?

A test with the sensitivity of 20 mIU can pick up a pregnancy at 7-8 days after conception but the percentage of women who get a positive this early is relatively low. A much higher percentage of women get a positive result at 9 or 10 days past conception.

How early should I test?

Ideally you should wait until you have missed a period before you test, however our tests will detect a pregnancy earlier than this. Testing too early however is more likely to give false positive results.

What is a false positive result?

Unfortunately, 20 – 30% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage and many of these are very early pregnancies. If you test before the day your period is due, you could catch an early pregnancy and end up going on to have your period anyway due to a very early miscarriage. If you had waited to test until your period was due, you wouldn’t be aware that you had a miscarriage. Some women will find it very hard to deal with this emotionally. If you can’t wait and want to test early take the following into consideration to help you decide. Please remember that every woman is different and the time it takes for the fertilized egg to implant in your uterus wall can vary. A common misconception is that implantation occurs 7 days after conception, but research shows that the first appearance of HCG, due to implantation occurs 6-12 days after ovulation, with 84% of the pregnancies implanting on days 8-10 after ovulation. If you don’t get a positive pregnancy test, it doesn’t mean that you are not pregnant. It could be that you ovulated later than you thought or that implantation took longer than the average.

When should I do the test?

Tests can be taken at any time of the day. However, we do recommend that you test first thing in the morning when your urine is most concentrated. Do not drink large amounts of fluid in an attempt to increase the volume of urine as this may dilute the urine making HCG more difficult to detect.

How long will it take before I can read the result?

You can read the results in less than 5 minutes – usually about a minute. For the first few seconds after wetting you should be able to see the liquid moving up the test area causing it to go pink. As the pink fades the control line will appear as a strong line and the result line will appear. Do not try to read the result after 5 minutes because lines sometimes appear as the test dries out due to evaporation.

If I see 2 lines but one is fainter than the other is this a positive result?

Yes, if 2 lines appear you are pregnant.

What if there are no lines?

If no lines appear – the result is invalid – it is almost always due to the test not being wet enough or rarely may be a faulty test. Repeat the test with a fresh unit taking care to follow the instructions.

How accurate are these tests?

These tests have proved greater than 99% accurate in laboratory studies.

Can anything affect the results of these tests?

Painkillers, oral contraceptives, antibiotics and other common drugs will not affect the result of these tests. Drinking alcohol doesn’t usually affect the result but in rare cases may do. Only medicines that contain HCG can produce a false positive result. If you are unsure about your result or your period has still not started you should see your doctor for advice.

What should I do with my results?

If your pregnancy test result is positive, you should consult your doctor to discuss your pregnancy and what steps and precautions should be taken next. If your test is negative and you still suspect you may be pregnant, you may want to confirm your test results with another home pregnancy test a few days later. If you test too early you may get a negative result because not enough of the HCG hormone has built up in your body.

Reference Website: www.clearandsimpletests.co.uk

Reference Source: Clear&Simple