Pregnancy Test
Pregnancy sets in when an egg fertilizes and attaches to the wall of the uterus. As soon as this happens, a hormone- human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) is produced. And, during the course of pregnancy, the hCG level tend to rise very rapidly.
A pregnancy test is performed to check the presence of this hormone in the urine or blood. This is a simple test to detect whether a woman is pregnant.
A Pregnancy test kit comes with simple and easy to follow instructions. The test can be taken about a week after your missed period. After performing the test, the results can be confirmed at a clinic. Urine tests are simple and accurate. Blood tests can only be done at a doctor's clinic and are prescribed less often.
What are the types of pregnancy blood tests?
Qualitative hCG test and quantitative hCG tests are the two important pregnancy blood tests. A qualitative hCG is performed to detect the presence of hCG hormone in the blood. This test is often recommended by the physicians to confirm a pregnancy within 10 to 15 days after a missed period.
Quantitative hCG tests give precise levels of hCG hormone in the blood. With this test, even a very low range of hCG can be measured. In addition to confirming pregnancy, the test is beneficial in identifying abnormalities associated with pregnancy.
Both the urine test and blood tests are accurate.
How to perform a home pregnancy test?
Anyone using the test can get accurate results if the instructions are followed carefully. All the home pregnancy tests work similarly. The test can be performed using the following steps-
Collect your urine sample in a small container and then dip the test strip with small square coloured fields on it into the urine sample for a few seconds.
What does the result mean?
Wait till you see the colour, line or symbol – “+” or “- ”. These days, digital tests are also available, where the result is displayed in words as “Pregnant” or “Not Pregnant”.
