Which mother is expecting "good news" but does not want to see "2 red lines" on the pregnancy test? It's just a normal medical test, but why is pregnancy testing so special for women and mothers? Let's learn a little more about it!
Which mother is expecting "good news" but does not want to see "2 red lines" on the pregnancy test? It's just a normal medical test, but why is pregnancy testing so special for women and mothers? Let's learn a little more about it!
What is a pregnancy test & how does it work?
Pregnancy testing is a method of determining pregnancy based on the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone in the urine. This hormone is produced immediately after the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall.
This phenomenon usually occurs about 6 days after successful conception. If you are pregnant, hCG levels will continue to increase rapidly, doubling every 2-3 days.
What pregnancy tests are available?
There are 2 main types of pregnancy tests that can tell if you are pregnant or have a urine test and blood test.
Pregnancy testing with urine samples can be done at home or at the clinic. Most women try pregnancy at home after about a week late. Home pregnancy testing is a form of testing that really provides comfort and privacy.
Many mothers choose to have a home pregnancy test for its convenience and privacy
Home pregnancy test products are manufactured with detailed user instructions and can be done simply at home. Just follow the instructions, you can get a pretty accurate pregnancy test. After a home pregnancy test, you can confirm the result by going to the doctor, and the doctor will then order highly sensitive tests and give more accurate results.
Pregnancy testing with blood samples is done in specialist clinics, and is less commonly used than urine pregnancy tests. A blood sample pregnancy test can detect pregnancy at 6-8 after ovulation, which is earlier than home urine testing. But this measure is much longer than the home pregnancy test.
For blood tests, there are two types of tests applied:
The hCG test basically only checks for the presence of hCG in the blood, and only gives "yes" or "no" to the question "Are you pregnant?" The doctor usually assigns this type of test to confirm early pregnancy about 10 days after menstruation, although this test can detect hCG much earlier.
The beta hCG test can accurately measure the amount of hCG in the blood and can produce results with very low hCG levels. Because these tests can measure hCG levels, they may be helpful in monitoring certain problems during pregnancy. They may also be used to screen for ectopic pregnancy or to monitor post-abortion women when hCG levels drop rapidly.
How accurate is the pregnancy test result? You need to know that to get the most accurate pregnancy test results, you should wait about 1 week after your menstrual period does not return to normal. The pregnancy test results may also be more accurate if you do it in the morning as soon as you wake up because your first day urine is denser.
The home pregnancy test device has a very high accuracy result!
Home urine pregnancy test can give 97% accurate results, while the blood test method is more accurate.
The accuracy of home pregnancy test results depends on the following factors:
- Do you comply with the instructions of the pregnancy test device.
- The time of ovulation and the phenomenon of post-fertilization nesting.
- The time of your pregnancy test after conception.
- Sensitivity of the pregnancy test devic
Is home pregnancy testing difficult and expensive?
You can buy a pregnancy test at your pharmacy without a prescription. The selling price depends on the brand but is generally not expensive, popular test strips are about 10,000-20,000 VND, electronic pregnancy test devices or imported products may be more expensive with prices ranging from 8 to 20 dollars -America (about 160,000 - over VND 400,000.
Home pregnancy testing is quite quick and easy. They are also extremely accurate if you follow the instructions carefully. Usually home pregnancy tests have similar uses. You can try a pregnancy on a urine sample in 1 of 3 ways:
- Insert and hold the test strip between the urine stream (ie you urinate directly into the test strip.)
- Take urine into a sample cup and immerse the test strip.
- Take urine into a sample cup and use a urine dropper on the test strip.
With all three ways, you need to wait a few minutes to see the results. Depending on the type of pregnancy test device you use, the result may be displayed by a line symbol, color or a "+/-" sign. Electronic pregnancy test devices may display a clear text message on the screen that you are "pregnant" or "not pregnant."
Brands' pregnancy tests may have different ways of displaying results
If you have any questions about pregnancy testing as well as pregnancy test results, ask your doctor or consult the manufacturer's phone number listed on your pregnancy test container.
What does the pregnancy test mean?
As with all medical tests, the pregnancy test will give you one of two results: positive or negative.
If the result is positive, you are pregnant (congratulations!). This is usually the exact result of the line (or sign) on how the result is in color or density. If you get a positive result, there is no reason for you not to make an appointment with an obstetrician.
In rare cases, you may have a false positive result, meaning that you are not pregnant but still give a positive pregnancy test. This happens when your urine contains blood and protein. Some drugs, such as sedatives, anticonvulsants or sleeping pills, can cause a pregnancy test to give a false positive result.
If the result is negative, chances are you are not pregnant. However, you can still become pregnant if:
- Pregnancy test device expired.
- Using improper pregnancy test tools.
- Early pregnancy test.
- Urine sample is too thin because you drink a lot of water right before the pregnancy test.
- You use some medicines like diuretics or antihistamines (allergy drugs).
If you have a negative pregnancy test, try again later in the week to check again. Some pregnancy testers recommend that you try a pregnancy again, regardless of the first result.
If your two pregnancy tests give different results? Make an appointment with your doctor. Blood tests are now suitable to confirm your pregnancy test results.