ONLINE PREGNANCY TEST There are many things that have advanced over the years simply because people have searched for new ways to
FREE PREGNANCY TEST Pregnancy is one of the most special times in a woman’s life, but it can often be overshadowed by the
BEST PREGNANCY TEST When the possibility of being pregnant arises it can evoke many different feelings from excitement and joy
The false positive pregnancy test can bring about a whole flood of emotions. For those individuals who are trying to get pregnant and they have a pregnancy test that is positive, it can bring about a lot of excitement. There are preparations that are made and visits to the doctor schedules. Then comes the time to find out the truth – it was a false positive pregnancy test. If you have eve
Pregnancy is meant to be one of the most wonderful experiences a couple can go through together but it is not all sunshine and roses. Invariably there are feelings of anxiety and regret in some cases of unplanned pregnancy, but at the end of the day no matter how you came to this point it is a reality. Some women will tell you that they just know that they are pregnant by the traditional symptoms, while others will not even have a clue until they miss more than one period or start showing. The good news is that you don’t have to play guessing games, and there are pregnancy tests that are around to help you.Pregnancy is meant to be one of the most wonderful experiences a couple can go through together but it is not all sunshine and roses. Invariably there are feelings of anxiety and regret in some cases of unplanned pregnancy, but at the end of the day no matter how you came to this point it is a reality. Some women will tell you that they just know that they are pregnant by the traditional symptoms, while others will not even have a clue until they miss more than one period or start showing. The good news is that you don’t have to play guessing games, and there are pregnancy tests that are around to help you.
How these tests work
When you get pregnant the fetus releases a hormone called beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, better known as beta-HCG. In a normal, non-pregnant individual this is undetectable. In a pregnant woman the levels of this hormone rises steadily. At the beginning of pregnancy it is the embryo that releases this hormone, but later on the placenta takes over. There are essentially two types of pregnancy tests that can be done.
Qualitative testing
Qualitative pregnancy tests are basically designed to pick up the presence or absence of beta-HCG in the urine or in the blood. With most tests it can pick up the presence of this hormone two weeks after conception. These types of tests are used solely for the purposes of determining whether or not a woman is pregnant. This may be because she presents with symptoms suggestive of pregnancy, or for any other reason, for example, if a doctor needs to start her on medication that is dangerous during pregnancy.
Quantitative testing
Quantitative pregnancy tests take this one step further and do a little bit more than the qualitative type. Not only does it tell you whether or not beta-HCG is present in the blood, but it also tells you just how much there is as well. This is useful if a doctor needs to figure out just how far along a woman is in her pregnancy. There are normal levels for different stages of pregnancy.
Home pregnancy tests
Home pregnancy tests are examples of the qualitative type of pregnancy test. Most of them work in the same way, and indicate the presence or absence of beta-HCG in your urine. Many of them come with a special dropper and a stick with a control and a test area. You need to take the required amount of drops of urine and put it into the marked areas. The control part will react regardless of whether you are pregnant or not. The test section will appear to be the same as the control section if you are pregnant, but different if you are not. Other pregnancy tests work with just a test section and the box will say what the various symbols mean. When doing a home pregnancy test it is useful to buy two different tests from two different manufacturers just to be sure of the result. Since there are so many different types of home pregnancy tests on the market it can be a daunting and confusing task trying to find the right one. The best thing to do is to go for the ones with the best reputation. It wouldn’t be a good idea to go for the cheapest you can find because chances are you may run into problems with inaccurate results.
Laboratory pregnancy tests
These types of tests are a combination of qualitative and quantitative testing. These are not routinely ordered if the clinical features and urine test are conclusive, but there is no reason why a woman cannot request one to be done. The time when these tests come in handy is to confirm a pregnancy or to confirm any problems. For example, in an ectopic pregnancy the level of beta-HCG will be lower than that expected for the duration of pregnancy. This kind of testing would help to prompt further investigation and seek appropriate treatment measures should a problem be identified. The great thing about these tests is that they are accurate and fairly quick.
Tests are merely a tool to help confirm what you or your doctor might already suspect. The key is to have some sort of suspicion in the first place. If you are sexually active it helps to get to know the various signs and symptoms of pregnancy so that you know what to look out for so you can get tested and plan accordingly.
