How Soon Can You Take A Pregnancy Test?
If you feel that lately your body has been going through some transformations or if you simply are not sure if your last night of romance left any long-term consequences, you might need to know your options when it comes to detecting a pregnancy. The first step you need to take is to consult the list of common pregnancy symptoms and check if you experience any (delayed menstruation, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, increased and painful breasts, frequent urination and emotional instability). Afterwards, if you still believe you might be pregnant, you can proceed to the second step which is the easiest way of finding out if your suspicions are correct or not: to take a pregnancy test. But, how soon can you take a pregnancy test?
How soon can you take a pregnancy test? – Between myth and reality
Numerous pregnancy tests claim to be 99 percent effective in detecting a pregnancy from the first day of delayed menstruation. However, it is considered by the specialists that a pregnancy cannot be detected so early, especially by a common urine pregnancy test. If by chance the pregnancy is detected, the result can be so weak that it can determine misinterpretation. Waiting 7 days since your period failed to appear, increases the test’s efficiency by far. Also, a more accurate reference would be the moment of conception. The proper day for taking the urine test is approximately 2 weeks after having an unprotected sexual contact. In case you really need to know whether or not you are pregnant much earlier, only a blood test or a sensitive test performed by a gynecologist can help you with that.
How soon can you take a pregnancy test? – Decisional factors
Right timing: Particularly important is how long it takes for the fertilized egg to reach your uterus. Once your ovule and a spermatozoon meet and combine, the resulted egg travels inside you towards your uterus. After the egg implants itself in your uterus’s wall, a hormone called the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) starts to be synthetized. In most cases, the implantation can take up to 7 days but it is considered by the specialists that for more than 10 percent of the women, the egg is implanted much later. Therefore, the urine pregnancy tests will give accurate results from the first day of delayed menstruation for some women, not for all.
Proper manage: The urine pregnancy test must be used according to its specific instructions which you will find in the package. Extra caution is necessary regarding the expiration date and the wrapping which must be undamaged.
Time of day: The urine pregnancy tests detect the pregnancy hormone mentioned above, commonly abbreviated hCG. That is why the best time of the day for you to take the test is in the morning. The urine is much more concentrated, so the amount of hCG from it is also higher.
Body uniqueness: The amount of pregnancy hormone present in the urine varies from woman to woman. Thus, for some women detecting a pregnancy can be possible from the first day of delayed menstruation, while others must wait longer.
Test’s manufacturer: Some tests are better in identifying a low level of hCG than others.
How soon can you take a pregnancy test? – Can something interfere with the test’s results?
Most medicines, issued with or without a prescription, including birth control pills and antibiotics, should not affect the result of a pregnancy test. Alcohol and drugs do not affect pregnancy test results either. The only medication that can interfere in the accuracy of a urine pregnancy test is the medication that contains the hCG hormone which causes a false positive result. A false positive result means that the test shows the presence of the pregnancy hormone but the woman is not actually pregnant. Medicines that contain hCG are used to treat infertility.
How soon can you take a pregnancy test? – Avoid false negative results
A good understanding of the way a urine pregnancy test works will always give you the correct results. Your body is a complex system but as long as you are aware of its mechanisms, you can use its behaviors in your favor and avoid unpleasant situations and misleads. If you resort to a pregnancy test, use it the smart way!
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