How To Use And Read The Results Of Pregnancy Test
Pregnancy Test Explained: How to read the results correctly
May 18, 2019
The pregnancy test helps to confirm if a woman is actually pregnant. The test can be carried out in a hospital or clinic and even at home. This type of test is considered 99% reliable and its work by measuring the level of a hormone known as Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG). This hormone is usually present in the urine or in the blood of a female gender for about ten to fourteen days right after conception. If a woman misses her period and experiences other unusual symptoms, it is suggested she might be pregnant; it’s a better idea to take a pregnancy test effectively. It is equally advised that a woman should know quite early if she’s pregnant, this will assist her to monitor her health more judiciously and might as well have to change some lifestyles.
How A Pregnancy Test Work And Use It Correctly
A pregnancy test works accurately by evaluating the amount of HCG hormone. The level of the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) increases during pregnancy. The hormone which is produced by the cells that form the placenta provides nourishment to your growing embryo. It is released once a fertilized egg in the female reproductive system attaches itself to the lining of the female uterus. The HCG peaks between eight to eleven weeks of gestation. While a negative HCG result is a level of less than 5 mIU/ml (Milli-international units per millimeter), a positive HCG result is greater than or equal to 25 mIU/ml. Pregnancy test as earlier stated involves testing of blood or urine. The urine test can be self-administered while a medical professional would have to carry out the blood test.
Urine Test
A urine test at home involves placing a chemical strip into the urine. The results are usually ready in about 3-5minutes, although different brands of the test vary in the result time. The individual will have to collect her urine in a container and dips the pregnancy strip into it or use an eyedropper to drop the urine on the pregnancy test strip. In addition, a pregnancy stick can be held when urinating. Furthermore, it is important to always read the instructions written on the strips in order to understand the result. Depending on the test, your result might appear as a changed in a marked line, the appearance of a symbol that includes plus or minus, a change of color, and an answer on the strip indicating pregnant or not pregnant. The best time of the day to take a urine pregnancy test is very early in the morning, immediately after waking up. This is because consuming a lot of liquids before taking the test might give you a false result, even if the woman is pregnant.
Blood Test
Specifically, there are two major ways to check for pregnancy when using blood as a sample. It can be carried out quantitatively and qualitatively. The quantitative blood test for pregnancy measures the exact amount of HCG present in the blood. The qualitative blood test for pregnancy detects whether HCG is actually present in the blood or not. Blood testing allows for early pregnancy detection and measures the concentration of HCG. It is more expensive and the result is the time taken. However, the test must be completed in a medical office or in a hospital.
However, some medication that includes sleeping tablets, methadone, tranquilizers, anticonvulsants, infertility medication, diuretics, antipsychotics, Parkinson’s disease medication, and promethazine can affect your pregnancy result. Other factors that can affect the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) include a deficiency of immunoglobulin A, gestational trophoblastic neoplasms, and gestational trophoblastic disease.
How To Read Pregnancy Test Result Correctly?
Whether you have been trying to conceive for a while now or you just missed your period, you need to know about what those little lines on strips mean. There are a variety of pregnancy test brands on the market, and all look for the presence and absence of HCG.
Urine Pregnancy Test
To get an accurate result from a urine test pregnancy test at home, it is very crucial to read the instructions before taking the test. You will have to carry out the test in the morning when the HCG level is at the highest level. Drinking water might seem like a good idea, but drinking too much might affect your urine and reduce the hormone level, increasing the chances of a false-negative result. A false-negative (Urine Test) is likely to occur if you have a growth like an ovarian tumor, if you take certain medications, if the HCG remains after a miscarriage or a recent birth, if the test was taken prematurely or if the test kit is faulty.
Blood Pregnancy Test
This pregnancy test performed in a hospital uses samples of drawn blood to measure the level of HCG in your system. It can be performed as early as eight to ten days right after ovulation. Unlike the urine test, a blood pregnancy test is considered accurate since it can directly reveal whether or not you are pregnant. The procedure is allocated 99% accurate as it can determine a much lower amount of HCG as compared to urine pregnancy.
What is a positive sign?
If you undergo any of these pregnancy tests and get a positive result, you are pregnant. This is very true no matter how faint the color and line might be on the strip. If you get a positive result, you might, however, want to contact your doctor. It is in a very rare case that you might encounter a false-positive result. This simply implies that you are not pregnant but the test indicates you are. A woman can have a false-positive result if protein or blood is present in her urine. Certain medications such as hypnotics and tranquilizers might also cause a false-result result.
Not Keen On A Pregnancy Test? Do An Online Test
An online pregnancy test is a free online test or questions that require answers based on signs and symptoms of pregnancy. The questions are designed specifically keeping in mind the symptoms of pregnancy. The observation, calculation and continuous check of these signs can give you the reply “Am I really pregnant”. The response you give to the designed questions determines the course of action. Majorly, the questions are hinged on your ovulation cycle, menstruation period, how many times you make love with your partner, the type of birth control method you use, among others. They are regarded as the essentials as they focus on your chances of getting pregnant.
Other questions that are also asked include basal temperature, appetite as well as implantation check, implying that as you give your response, it moves you close or farther to your chances of being pregnant. One benefit of an online pregnancy test is that you can do it from the comfort of your home. It allows for change of answer as your period cycle changes or as your body changes. Furthermore, the online pregnancy test works as pre-empt as it saves you the trip of visiting your doctor or a medical store. Importantly, as an expecting mother, it is essential to know that an online test works best when you have actually missed your period, this is because there is a similarity between early pregnancy symptoms and menstruation dates.
Healthy and nutritional pregnancy recipes for all moms-to-be
Summary
However, you can carry out most of these pregnancy tests from the first day of a missed period and if you don’t know when your next period is due, you can carry out the test at least 21days after you might have indulged in unprotected sex. Some very sensitive pregnancy tests can be used even before a female misses her menstrual period, as early as 8days after conception. You can also purchase pregnancy testing kits from pharmacists and from supermarkets. They can give you a quick result even while it is conducted in private or at home. Free pregnancy test kits can be made available in community contraceptive clinics, brook centers and even in some sexual health clinics.
In addition, many of the pregnancy tests come in a box that contains one or two long sticks, although tests are slightly different hence check for instructions. You can also use the pregnancy due to the date calculator to work out when your baby will be due or contact your medical doctor or midwife to begin your antenatal care. Importantly, a positive result is certainly correct while a negative result is less reliable. If you get a negative result and still feel you are pregnant, wait for a few days before trying again.