Using A Home Pregnancy Test

When you think you are pregnant, you don’t need to immediately call the doctor. A simple first step is to use a home pregnancy test.

How Do Home Pregnancy Tests Work?

When you are pregnant, your body begins to produce the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). HCG is produced by the placenta during pregnancy, and is the hormone that a home pregnancy test detects. Your body begins to produce HCG about six days after an egg is fertilized and after the embryo implants in the uterus. Levels of HCG increase rapidly in a pregnant woman’s body and are detectable in urine. By the time you think you may be pregnant (usually after you miss your period), HCG levels are high enough that a home pregnancy test will detect them.

Why Use A Home Pregnancy Test?

Home pregnancy tests are extremely easy to use, readily available in most grocery and drug stores, and are relatively inexpensive. Most tests work the same way (but read and follow the directions on the package) where the woman urinates on the test stick, waits three to five minutes, then reads the symbols in a results area. Each brand of home pregnancy test has its own symbols to show whether or not you are pregnant (lines, plus signs, words, etc.); be sure to read the box to know what symbol you are looking for. If you have a positive test, give your doctor a call. If you have a negative test, you can test again in a few days, or give your doctor a call if you still haven’t started your period.

Why Home Pregnancy Tests Are Sometimes Wrong

Sometimes, with a home pregnancy test, you can get an incorrect result. A false negative usually means that you are testing too soon – the levels of HCG in your body are not high enough to be detected by the test. If you are drinking a lot of water, this can also impact a test, as your urine will be more diluted (some brands recommend using a home pregnancy test first thing in the morning when urine is most concentrated). False positives are also possible. A false positive from a home pregnancy test is often caused from a “chemical pregnancy.” Sometimes, an egg will be fertilized, implant in the uterus for a few days (just long enough to begin producing HCG), then stop developing. There are many reasons for a chemical pregnancy (it is usually because the embryo can not survive), and this happens to as many as thirty to fifty percent of all fertilized eggs. Most times, you don’t realize it because your period is only a day or two late; if you do use a home pregnancy test at this time, a chemical pregnancy could give you a false positive.