Pregnancy tests

Many home pregnancy tests are 99% effective!

How early can you do a home pregnancy test?
Urine tests can be done usually about a day before your next period starts. Blood tests can tell if you are pregnant about 6 to 8 days after you ovulate.

Do a pregnancy test 1 week after missed period?
This info comes from the us dept of health: Many home pregnancy tests (HPTs) claim to be 99% accurate on the day you miss your period. But research suggests that most HPTs do not consistently spot pregnancy that early. And when they do, the results are often so faint they are misunderstood. If you can wait one week after your missed period, most home pregnancy tests will give you an accurate answer. Ask your doctor for a more sensitive test if you need to know earlier.

How do pregnancy tests work?

All pregnancy tests look for a special hormone in the urine or blood that is only present when a woman is pregnant. This hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), is also called the pregnancy hormone.

How is a home pregnancy test done?
There are many types of home pregnancy tests, or HPTs, that can be bought over-the-counter at drug or discount stores. Some involve collecting your urine in a cup and dipping a stick into the urine, or putting some of the urine into a special container with an eyedropper. Others are done by placing a stick into your urine stream. Tests vary in how long you have to wait for the stick or container to turn a certain color or have a symbol on it (like a plus or a minus). All tests come with written instructions. Most tests also have toll-free phone numbers to call if you have any questions about how to do the test or read the results.

How accurate are home pregnancy tests?
Home pregnancy tests (HPTs) are very accurate. Most brands of HPTs say they are 97% to 99% accurate, but this can vary with actual use. Each brand varies in how sensitive it is in picking up the pregnancy hormone hCG. If a test is not done correctly, it will be less accurate. And, always check the package to make sure it is not past its expiration date - if it is, it will not be accurate. Most brands of HPTs tell users to do the test again in a few days, no matter what the results.

If you use an HPT too early in your pregnancy, you may not have enough of the pregnancy hormone hCG in your urine to have a positive test result. Most HPTs will be accurate if you test yourself around the time your period is due (about 2 weeks after you ovulate, or release an egg from your ovary). You can get a negative test result if you are not pregnant or if you ovulated later than you thought you did. You may also have problems with the pregnancy, which affects the amount of hCG you have in your urine. If your HPT is negative, test yourself again within a few days to 1 week. If you keep getting a negative result and think you are pregnant, talk with a health care provider right away.

Can anything interfere with home pregnancy test results?
Most medications, both over-the-counter and prescription drugs, including birth control pills and antibiotics, should not affect the results of a home pregnancy test (such as Profasi, Pregnyl or Novarel). Only those drugs that have the pregnancy hormone hCG in them can give a false positive test result (where the test says you are pregnant when you actually are not). Drugs that have hCG in them can be used for treating infertility (not being able to get pregnant). Alcohol and illegal drugs do not affect HPT results, but you should not be using these substances if you are trying to get pregnant.

What's the difference between a urine and a blood pregnancy test? Is one better than the other?
There are two types of pregnancy tests - blood and urine tests. Both tests look for the presence of hCG, the pregnancy hormone. Today, many women use a urine test, or home pregnancy test (HPT), to find out if they are pregnant. HPTs do not cost a lot, are easy to use, can be done at home, and are private. When a woman has a positive result on an HPT, she needs to see her health care provider right away. The health care provider can confirm a positive HPT result with a blood test and a pelvic exam.

There are two types of blood tests you can get from a health care provider. A quantitative blood test (or the beta hCG test) measures the exact amount of hCG in the blood. This means it can pick up very small amounts of hCG, making it a very accurate test. A qualitative hCG blood test gives a simple yes or no answer to whether you are pregnant. This test is more like a urine test in terms of its accuracy.

Blood tests can pick up hCG earlier in a pregnancy than urine tests can. Blood tests can tell if you are pregnant about 6 to 8 days after you ovulate (or release an egg from an ovary).

Comments: Pregnancy tests

Comments 1 to 24 of about 58.
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butterflykisses715 - 525 days ago.
i am not due for AF till the 17th but my dh and i have been trying...i have taken 5 tests that are early detection ones and they have all had a dark neg line and faint positive line....i want to beleive them but the second line is so faint (but dark enough to see). any thoughts?

Andon&Jakey<3 - 525 days ago.
Thanks smile! I was reading about evap lines....said they are colorless 'ghost lines' but mine was blue,.....bright blue......I wonder if evap lines can be colored too?!

smile1980 - 526 days ago.
Check the test instructions because a lot of them say to read your result after a certain time and disregard any changes after a certain time. Although I think false positives are quite rare it could be what they call an evaporation line.

Andon&Jakey<3 - 526 days ago.
Has anyone every had a FALSE POSITIVE? My tests keep turning positive......but AFTER they have sat for a while 3--60min ??????????? How accurate is that?!

Sparklingbeauty - 528 days ago.
I took a test 3 days ago and the second line was dark and my nipples were more sensitive. I took another test this morning and the second line is not as dark as the first one. They both came out of the same pack, should I be concerned. My cycle was supposed to start Yesterday.

flowerchild79md@yahoo.com - 555 days ago.
Hi, I hope I'm posting the right way (new at forums!). Anyway, I am looking for some guidance. This past Wednesday (11/9/11), I went to an Urgent Care facility for a bad cough. The triage nurse suspected pneumonia and wanted to do a pg test before the xray. I gave her the urine, less than 5 minutes later she told me I was not pregnant and we did the xray. Turned out I have pneumonia, they gave me some prescriptions and sent me on my way. I was sitting at the drug store, waiting for my prescriptions, when the urgent care place called me. Told me NOT to take any medications. They went to throw away my pg test and it had turned positive. They ran it again ( I guess with leftover urine) and it was negative up until the 10 minute mark and then turned positive. They asked me to come back for a blood test. I went back right away and they rushed my blood to the lab. It came back a few hours later with an HCG level of 30. She said, you're definitely pregnant and they adjusted my medication accordingly. I have taken 2 hpt in the past 24 hours and they were both negative. I guess my confusion is from thinking that on Wednesday my hcg was 30 and it's supposed to keep doubling, so why would a hpt not pick it up by now if it's set to pick up anything about a level of 50hcg? My husband and I had unprotected sex on October 29th. The first day of my last menstrual cycle was October 23rd. On Wednesday and Thursday, I also had very light spotting (not enough to get any on a pad, just there when wiping) and minor cramping. That stopped by Friday. Definitely wasn't planning on getting pregnant...

mumma-stace - 635 days ago.
Hi I was just wondering if anyone can tell me please how common it is to have a FALSE POSITIVE??? I have been trying for over 6 years, did 1 test last night. Brought another and did it this morning - both POSITIVE. I have PCOS and dont want to get my hopes up, just incase its a FALSE positive. Had blood test today, just wanting to know though if anyone has experienced this before and if you know WHY you tested pos when you werent preg. THANKYOU!

claire2012 - 718 days ago.
hi all i have a question and was wondering if anyone could shed some light, i am pregnant not long found out, but i did a pregnancy test days before my missed period like my period was suppose to be on the 4th and i did the test the 26th and it was positive, can a pregancy test be positive so early?? any comments would be great thanks

GemmaC - 844 days ago.
Hi, just found out I'm pregnant (bit of surprise) and the test result seemed to appear really fast and have really dark lines - does this mean I could be more than 1 month pregnant? Could I have gotten pregnant the month before? I've been a bit irregular with AF... Thanks XXX PS you guys are the first to know I'm preggers!!!!

mrsfreeman - 853 days ago.
MaybeBaby- I didn't have a positive result until i was 8 weeks with my first child, hang in there!

maybebaby2010 - 853 days ago.
I was suppose to get my AF January the 3rd and no AF as of today the 18th. I have taken several tests all NEGATIVE. I was wondering if anyone has experience BFN when they have been about 5-6 weeks pregnant

dree2010 - 868 days ago.
Hi ladies..this morning I took a hpt and got a faint positive, using the longs drugs brand. I don't kno when I'm suppose to be expecting my period, since they are very irregular. However, I mark down when my fiance and are intimate and just count back 4 wks..and assume its accurate. Anywho, we had sex on dec 7th, so I figure if I'm prego, that's when we conceived..is that right? Can anyone help me on this pls...I'm really confused...thanks:)

stacywi - 1062 days ago.
Ladies, I have a question if any of you could help, please do. MY husband and i decided ttc and we had my mirena taken out 2 1/2 weeks ago. they told me it was ok to start trying right away. my periods have NEVER been regular so i really have nothing to go by as far as calculating. I have been feeling pretty crappy lately so i figured it could be just my horomones readjusting, or could i be....? my tests with my others all came out bfp really early . not sure so i just bought a hpt from target the up&up brand. two days ago it was nothing yesterday a VERY faint line with fmu and again this morning a darker faint line. I went to town to by another brand and came home and took it and bfn. could that be because it wasnt as concentrated as fmu because it is SOO early?

L2782 - 1066 days ago.
I will give you the short version. I have been on the pill for years and there have been many times when I missed a pill and took it the next day, but I have never gotten pregnant while on it. I also know for a fact that this happened in April and May, 2010. Over the last 2 weeks or so, I have been experiencing many pregnancy symptoms: nausea, exhausted, dark nipples, weight gain in stomach (I look pregnant) movement in abdomen, backpain, headaches, food aversions/cravings. My son was born two yrs ago so I do remember a lot about the way I felt and I can swear I am pregnant, but the tests are coming up negative. ALSO, I DID get my 'period' this month because I was still taking the pill until a few days ago. It was very light and I have also have breakthough/possible implantation bleeding a few times over last two months. Was that a real period or was my body 'making' me get it because I am still on the pill???? I called my doctor's office for a blood test but they wont do it until I get an actual 'positive' result on a home pregnancy test. What should I do??? Am I pregnant???

bubblimummi - 1071 days ago.
Mandaarchie, I had the implanon in my arm going back four years ago and my periods were coming a week after one finished for about 3 months! Each woman is effected by the implanon differently, this just may be the way your body deals with the amount of hormones it releases. I have some friends who have had a complete halt in the period department! If you suspect you could be pregnant, maybe try waiting a week and test again. All the best :)

MANDAARCHIE - 1072 days ago.
Okay Girls am I goin crazy? I have the implanon in my arm but I think im pregnant.I had the implanon put in 2 months after i had twins.So it was put in 6months ago.The Dr did not do a pregnancy test before he put the implanon in. i have only had brown spotting twice since its been put in but thats it. i also read that its less effective in overweight women.Took home test it was negative but from what i have read about implanon it can cause false negative results. I swear at least once a day i feel movement.i have nausea in the morning. i dont know what to do i have no insurance HELP

anxiousmami - 1077 days ago.
Hey ladies just wanted to stop by and let ya know that they have dollar store pregnancy tests so you can grab 10 if u want, I took 6 in a matter of 2 days all positive and went frm there :) but if ur like me and can't imagine buying 1 test for 7 8 bucks alone and more then go to a ollar store cuz they r accurate! The store I went to is called a 'dollar tree' goodluck ladies

harrynicole - 1084 days ago.
hi! my period was suppose to be last May24 but missed it. i took HPT on the night of may26 and got a positive result..wanted to be so sure that i took another HPT on the night of may2, still got a positive result.. will see the dr. this sunday..but i have this feeling that i want to take another HPT to be very sure..lol..im a first time mom and i can't help but to think that this might be a false positive result...i need an advise! thanks!

courtney a. - 1089 days ago.
I took a test this past Saturday, May 22 which was 2 days before my cycle was supposed to start and I got a BFN. Then on the 24th when I expected to start, I didn't...today I am 4 days late and just took a test and got my BFP!!! A lot of women don't test positive until after their missed period...so if you test early and get a BFN, try again a day or two after a missed period. Was quite a nice surprise for us today!

mumoffour - 1098 days ago.
well, it's official i went to the doc this morning and his came back positive aswell,he figures that i am about 1 week and 4 days in. i have a dating US booked for next week so we will see then :)

military~mommy - 1098 days ago.
Mum~ It is possible though I would wait another day or two and test again with FMU. That would put you testing positive at 7 DPO which is rare but not unheard of... And you would have Ovulated very early in your cycle, but obviously if you got a BFP it is possible!

mumoffour - 1099 days ago.
Ladies Please help me, i really need some advice.my last period started on the 5th of may (today is the 17th) and my husband and I had sex on or about the 10th. On the 14th i started to have light spotting and a brown mucusy discharge,when i looked the discharge up on the internet it suggested that it could be implantation. well this evening i took a test and it came back positive! is this even possible or could it be something else?i am still having brown discharge and i am a little ,no no make that ALOT freaked out,any advice you can give me would be great, thank you in advance

mawest7385 - 1115 days ago.
I am so anxious to find out if I am pregnant! I have taken 3 early pregnancy test and got slight positive and 2 negatives. I know it's too early. I still have 3 days to go before I am supposed to start. It is just sooo exciting! I am afraid I am going to jinx it :(

mother of one - 1123 days ago.
LADIES I NEED YOUR HELP!!! For the past 2weeks I've been feeling sick. For about a week I couldnt keep anything down then things got better but I started getting these intense chronic headaches and I was nauseous and now my boobs have been sore since Monday and the pain will not go away. I took two pregnancy test each a week apart and they both were NEGATIVE!!! I was making dinner earlier and I just had to stop because the smell was making me sick. I dont understand how I have like all the signs of being pregnant but I keep getting a NEGATIVE test!! WIth my first pregnancy I had no symptoms until I was 12wks along & I got a POSITIVE test right away. What should I do? Could I have tested too early?!? M y boobs are soooooo sore; I hate it. ***I'm NOT TTC I just think I might be pregnant.

KatieA - 1150 days ago.
false as in neg tests