Pregnancy Testing: How Does it Work?
If you believe you might be pregnant, you likely want to take a test right away. However, it doesn’t quite work like that.
Pregnancy tests look for the presence of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This hormone is only found in the urine or blood during pregnancy, making it useful for modern pregnancy tests.
The catch is that it takes time for hCG to build up enough for a pregnancy test to detect it.
It typically takes about 10-11 days after conception (when a sperm fertilizes an egg) for a pregnancy test to detect hCG in urine or blood. Conception can happen right after sex, but not always, as sperm can remain in the reproductive tract for up to five days.
When Should I Take a Pregnancy Test?
The best time to take a pregnancy test is after you miss your period.
You might consider an early detection test, but they vary in accuracy, making false-negative results possible. Waiting can give you more confidence in your result so you can know for sure.
If you take a pregnancy test before your missed period and it’s negative, follow up with another pregnancy test after you have missed your period to be certain.
What if I Have Irregular Periods?
If you have irregular periods, pregnancy test timing can be a little more challenging. Although you may not want to wait longer, this will ensure you receive an accurate result, as irregular periods can range from 21 to over 35 days.
You can try testing 36 days from the start of your last period or four weeks from when you last had sex. There’s no harm in testing earlier if you want to; just keep in mind that if you receive a negative result, it might be false.
Receive Accurate Pregnancy Testing
Visit Oasis Resource Center to take a free lab-grade urine test with 99% accuracy. If your test result is positive, we can also provide a no-cost, limited ultrasound to give you essential pregnancy details.
Why wonder when you can find out for sure? Contact us to schedule free lab-grade pregnancy testing today.
