If you are sexually active knowing when to take a pregnancy test is important Generally you should take a pregnancy test if any of the following conditions apply
You have had unprotected sex or have a reason to believe your birth control has failed
You have early pregnancy symptoms such as nausea fatigue and tender breasts
Your period is late by one week or more
Home pregnancy tests can be purchased at any drug store Most tests cost between $6 and $18 although a higher price does not necessarily mean the test is more accurate Some tests are more expensive because they are heavily advertised Others contain more than one test in a package
The EPT pregnancy test First Response pregnancy test and Clear Blue pregnancy test are three of the most popular brands of home pregnancy tests
Taking a Pregnancy Test
Taking a home pregnancy test is surprisingly easy In most cases you should urinate briefly and either hold the test stick under your urine stream or collect urine in a cup before dipping the test strip into the cup
Most tests take only a few minutes to provide the test results Lines or slashes are often used to show the result One is used as a control to determine that the test is working properly The presence of a second line or slash is used to show that you are pregnant
Since instructions can vary according to the brand of test you have purchased read the enclosed pamphlet carefully before you begin your home pregnancy test If you have questions about when to take a pregnancy test visit the manufacturers website or call the customer service hotline
Pregnancy Test Accuracy
Home pregnancy tests are 99% accurate when used correctly To get the most accurate results remember the following tips as youre deciding when to take a pregnancy test
Wait until your period is at least one week late Testing on the first day of your missed period reduces the test accuracy to about 80%
Home pregnancy tests are typically most accurate when taken in the morning
Follow the directions carefully Instructions for completing a pregnancy test can vary according to the brand you have purchased
Avoid reading the results of your test too early or too late If it says to wait three minutes for the results wait three minutes
False Positives and False Negatives
A home pregnancy test works to detect a hormone in the blood called Human Chorionic Gonadotropin HCG However sometimes the test fails to accurately detect this pregnancy hormone When this happens you may get a false positive that says you are pregnant when you are not You could also get a false negative that says you arent pregnant when you really are
Pregnancy test false negative and false positive results are fairly rare Most are caused by impurities in the urine sample failing to read the test instructions using an expired pregnancy test or trying to take the test too early However certain medical conditions and prescription drugs can sometimes affect your pregnancy test results
If you have doubts about the accuracy of your home pregnancy test reread the instructions and try to take another test If youre still not confident youve received an accurate result contact your healthcare provider He she can schedule a blood test to clear up any confusion
How Online Pregnancy Tests Work
An online pregnancy test will ask some of the same questions your
Information Needed for an Online Test
The basic information that many of the online tests ask for includes
The average number of days from the first day of one period until the first day of the next period
The date your last period started
The date you think you conceived or the date you had intercourse that you think resulted in conception
What Early Pregnancy Symptoms you have been experiencing These symptoms might include nausea or vomiting odd sensations of the abdomen changes in appetite and fatigue among others
Your stress level
What form of birth control you have been practicing
Test Result Revelations
The online test results will provide you with the odds that you are actually pregnant based on the normal Ovulation process In other words there is only a fourday window around two weeks into the menstrual cycle when most women can conceive By looking at the information you have provided about your menstrual cycle the software can calculate how closely your sexual experience fell in line with the predicted window of ovulation You may also be provided with links to more information about ovulation conception unprotected sex home pregnancy tests and abortion options
The test may also take into account the side effects of your chosen birth control method and its effectiveness For example if you use DepoProvera for birth control one of the side effects is missed periods and some weight gain If your significant other has had a vasectomy the test will calculate your chance of pregnancy as extremely low On the other hand if you are having unprotected sex during the period of ovulation chances are significantly increased that you may be pregnant
Online Test Accuracy
No one can tell you whether you are pregnant without a blood or urine pregnancy test however the online pregnancy test results can tell you whether your intercourse may have coincided with the time when you would have expected to ovulate
Finding an Online Pregnancy Test
Visit Epigee Womens Health or PregnancyInfo net Or do an Internet search on online pregnancy test
What To Do If the Test Says Youre Pregnant
Follow up with a home pregnancy tests Remember even though a home pregnancy test may claim to be accurate as soon as five days prior to your next menstruation date the test will be significantly more accurate if you wait until a week after your missed period If the home pregnancy test shows a negative result but you are still experiencing some of the symptoms of pregnancy wait and take the test again in three days or make an appointment with your health care professional
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