How Do Pregnancy Tests Work?

Do you need a pregnancy test other than your local drugstore pregnancy test? Yes. Though home pregnancy tests are very accurate, there is still a chance for inaccurate results.

Pregnancy tests pick up on a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin—HCG. It’s produced rapidly at the early stages of pregnancy and can be found in blood and urine.

When there is a lot of this hormone built up, a pregnancy test reads a positive result. If no hCG is detected, the pregnancy test will read negative.

What Is hCG?

Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is needed for a pregnancy and helps the uterus lining thicken and sustain the growing embryo. It also signals the body to stop menstruation as it changes into pregnancy mode. 

First, the embryo produces HCG and then the placenta, and levels rapidly climb in the first trimester until about week 10. 

When Should I Take A Test?

To receive the best and most accurate results, try waiting until the first day of your expected period. This time can help give hCG levels time to build up and become detectable by the test.

It’s important what time of day you administer the test! Even though you can take it at any part of the day, hCG levels are concentrated in the morning, during the first urination of your day. Testing early in the morning can help you get the clear and accurate results you want to move forward. 

To confirm your pregnancy, get both a lab-quality pregnancy test and ultrasound to know all your pregnancy details. A pregnancy test cannot tell you all there is to know about your pregnancy before making a decision.

A Free Pregnancy Test Confirmation

Get free and confidential lab-quality pregnancy testing today at our center. We know how nerve-racking this process can seem, but we are here to walk alongside you. You are not alone.

Schedule your free appointment and talk with one of our caring team members to learn more.