How Accurate is an Early Detection Pregnancy Test?
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Wondering if you are pregnant or not can be very stressful. Whether you are planning to get pregnant or it is unexpected doesn’t matter. Not knowing can be very frustrating. Thankfully, you do have the option of purchasing a test over-the-counter. But how accurate is an early detection pregnancy test?
Many of the early detection pregnancy tests claim to be ninety-nine percent accurate. However, many of these may be tested on women that are at least a week or more beyond the date they were due for their periods. Other tests claim they are able to determine whether or not you are pregnant the day after you miss your period.
Early pregnancy testing is examining the levels of HCG, the pregnancy hormone, and are able to pick up the smallest amount in the urine. A woman who is not pregnant would have an HCG level between 2 and 5. When you become pregnant, these levels will double in amount every two to three days. Someone who is a day late may only have levels between 3 and 10. Therefore, many tests will only state a positive result if the levels are over 25.
Unfortunately, this leads us to determine that if your normal HCG levels are low, testing a day after you miss your period leaves more chance for an inaccurate results. To get more accurate results, you will want to consider these two items. First of all, because the morning urine is the strongest urine, it is always best to complete the test when you first get up. This can help with the accuracy of the test.
Accuracy of an early home pregnancy test can also be increased by making certain you wait for a week after your missed period. At this time, the hormone levels that have been increased due to your pregnancy will be elevated to a more determinable amount. Many will have already reached levels of over 200 or more.
Some of the leading and most accurate brands of early home pregnancy tests are e.p.t., First Response Early Result, Clearblue Easy, and One Step Pregnancy Test. Read the instructions on each packet and choose the one that you find to your liking. Most of the tests may require you to place the urine stick in a cup containing your urine and others may require you to place a drop of your blood on the detection stick. Find one that will be easy for you to do.
While the thought of waiting to find out if you are pregnant may be disturbing, you will find that you will increase the accuracy of the test by waiting until you are at least a week late for your normal period. Again, use your morning urine for the test and it will increase the accuracy of the early detection pregnancy test, as well. Although, most early pregnancy testing will claim to be ninety-nine percent accurate, you will increase your chances of a true result when you take the above precautions.
