FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PREGNANCY PART 3

Q: Which brand of pregnancy test
is the most accurate?
A:
Some brands of tests can pick up lower
levels of hCG than others. But limited
research makes it impossible to say for
sure which one is the best. Even so,
two studies suggest that First Response,
Early Result Pregnancy Test may be
more sensitive than others. So for
women who want test early, this is
probably the best product.
Q: How soon after a missed period
can I take a home pregnancy
test and get accurate results?
A:
Many home pregnancy tests (HPTs)
claim to be 99% accurate on the day
you miss your period. But research sug-
gests that most HPTs do not consis-
tently 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 peri-
od, most home pregnancy tests will
give you an accurate answer. Ask your
doctor for a more sensitive test if you
need to know earlier.
When a home pregnancy test will give
an accurate result depends on many
things. These include:
●
How long it takes for the fertilized
egg to implant in the uterus after
ovulation. Pregnancy tests look for
the hormone human chorionic
gonadotropin (hCG) that is only
produced once the fertilized egg has
implanted in the uterine wall. In
most cases, this happens about 6 days
after conception. But studies show
that in up to 10 percent of women,
the embryo doesn’t implant until
much later, after the first day of the
missed period. So, home pregnancy
tests will be accurate as soon as one
day after a missed period for some
women but not for others.
●
How you use them - Be sure to fol-
low the directions and check the
expiration date.
●
When you use them - The amount
of hCG in a pregnant woman’s
urine increases with time. So, the
earlier after a missed period you take
a HPT, the harder it is to spot the
hCG. If you wait one week after a
missed period to test, you are more
apt to have an accurate result. Also,
testing your urine first thing in the
morning may boost the accuracy.
●
Who uses them - The amount of
hCG in the urine at different points
in early pregnancy is different for
every woman. So, some women will
have accurate results on the day of
the missed period while others will
need to wait longer.
●
The brand of test - Some home
pregnancy tests are more sensitive
than others. So, some tests are better
than others at spotting hCG early
on.
Q: I got a negative result on a
home pregnancy test. Might I
still be pregnant?
A:
Yes. So, most HPTs suggest women
take the test again in a few days or a
weeK Every woman ovulates at different times
Q: Can anything interfere with
in her menstrual cycle. Plus, embryos
home pregnancy test results?
implant in the uterus at different times.
A:
Most medicines, over-the-counter and
So, the accuracy of HPT results varies
prescription, including birth control
from woman to woman. Other things
can also affect the accuracy.
Sometimes women get false negative
results (when the test says you are not
pregnant and you are) when they test
too early in the pregnancy. Other
times, problems with the pregnancy can
affect the amount of hCG in the urine.
pills and antibiotics, should not affect
the results of a home pregnancy test.
Only medicines that have the pregnan-
cy hormone hCG in them can give a
false positive test result. A false positive
is when a test says you are pregnant
when you’re not.
Sometimes medicines containing hCG
If your HPT is negative, test yourself
again in a few days or 1 week. If you
keep getting a negative result but think
you are pregnant, talk with your doctor
right away.
are used to treat infertility (not being
able to get pregnant). Alcohol and ille-
gal drugs do not affect HPT results.
But women who may become pregnant
should not use these substances.