During pregnancy, a woman’s body produces Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin or HCG. It is a hormone and any pregnancy test is meant to detect if the hormone is present in urine of the woman in question. home pregnancy test accuracy is easy to perform and its result is accurate as long as the instructions are followed. You can discard the result only if
- The test is taken earlier
- Instructions are not followed properly
Some medications could also affect the rest result, rendering it not reliable enough. The home pregnancy test kits are available at many pharmacies and supermarkets. You don’t have to move heaven and earth to get it.
When to take a Home Pregnancy Test?
HCG is known as pregnancy hormone as it is released during that particular period. The pregnancy test is conducted to detect this hormone in urine. Before undergoing the test, you should go through the instructions minutely. This is because, pregnancy tests show results in multiple ways. You can undergo the test from the first day of missing your menstrual cycle. Tests carried out earlier than the date are unlikely to produce good result. Those having problems of irregular period find it difficult to be sure of the date.
Read the instructions if the home pregnancy test can be performed any time a day. It is often recommended that the best time to carry out the test is morning as urine is most concentrated at this time. However, it is not essential for all to stick to the ‘morning’ time. One point to keep in mind is you must not take excessive water as it is likely to dilute the amount of the hormone in urine and the test may fail to provide an accurate result.
Home Pregnancy Test Accuracy – Factors Influencing Pregnancy Test Result
Some medications can produce significant impact on the pregnancy test accuracy. Here are those:
- Medicines used for Parkinson’s disease
- Medicines like promethazine used to treat problems like allergies
- Sleeping pills
- Anticonvulsants (taken to epilepsy)
- Diuretics (taken to treat heart failure)
- Medicines to treat infertility
- Tranquilizers
If you are on any medication, check the patient information leaflet to find out how the test result can be affected. You can also seek a pharmacist’s advice as to how your medicines can alter the home pregnancy test accuracy.
There is no exact timing of evaluation as the process varies from month to month and even from one woman to another. Even implant of the fertilized egg in the uterus takes place in different times for two women. It can also affect the timing of HCG production and when it can be detected in urine.
Home Pregnancy Test Positive Result
In case of positive test result, you can be sure about your pregnancy. You may visit your physician. Most of the gynaecologists won’t ask any test repeat as they rely on positive home pregnancy test accuracy.
Whether you want to continue with pregnancy, go for abortion or are not sure about what to do next, a check-up is most important. If you don’t want to have a baby now, only the doctor can tell if an abortion will cause you any harm or not. As soon as you are done with positive home pregnancy test, consult a doctor irrespective of your decision.
Home Pregnancy Test Negative Test Results
It is unlikely that you are pregnant if the test result turns out to be negative. However, negative test results are less reliable. Earlier test may produce negative result even if you are pregnant. The test fails to detect enough HCG in urine if it is carried out earlier. In other words, the result may vary depending on the time of the rest. Positive home pregnancy test result is reliable but the same cannot be said about the negative outcome.
The packaging of the test contains adequate information as to when to undergo the test and how sensitive the result is. If the result is negative but you are sure of your pregnancy or have doubts about the outcome, wait for a few weeks and then undergo the test once again.
Early Miscarriage
If the positive home pregnancy test result turns out to be negative or menstrual cycle restarts, it is more likely that you had an early miscarriage. Consult with your doctor for advice.
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