Pregnancy tests are designed to test for the presence of HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in your body. This is a hormone that; if found in high quantities, indicates pregnancy.
This is created by reproductive tissues at very high levels during the first three to four months of pregnancy, and it is detectable in the blood and urine of pregnant women.
It can be detected early in pregnancy, making HCG a perfect surrogate for determining whether someone may be pregnant. One of HCG’s functions is to signal other areas of the body to do the tasks needed to support pregnancy.
In this article, you will learn about how various types of pregnancy tests work and how each one detects the HCG hormone in your body.
How Do Urine-Based Pregnancy Tests Work?
Urine-based pregnancy tests work by measuring the amount of HCG in your urine. If there is a high amount of hCG present, this indicates that you’re pregnant. Urine-based pregnancy tests are more affordable than blood-based tests.
HCG levels less than 5 mIU/mL are regarded as negative for pregnancy, whereas levels equal to or greater than 25 mIU/mL are deemed positive.
If you take a urine-based pregnancy test, it will usually show a positive result about 2 weeks and more after conception. These tests are less accurate after the first trimester because the amount of hCG in urine decreases as the pregnancy progresses.
How Do Home Pregnancy Tests Work?
Urine is tested at home by applying it to a chemical strip. Although the turnaround time for different test brands may vary, the result is ready in around 1 to 2 minutes.
Depending on the brand, you can use urine-based pregnancy tests at your home as it shows 99% accurate result. You don’t have to wait until the morning to take a test.
It is crucial to read the package insert to learn how to interpret the results because each testing brand has a unique method of providing results. You can easily use the test kit with the help of instructions. Instructions may vary from brand to brand:
- In the stream of your urination, you hold a stick.
- After dipping the stick, you pee into a cup.
- After peeing into a cup, you transfer a few drops of urine using a dropper into a designated container.
- Varied brands specify different waiting times; however, the majority are approximately two minutes.
Depending on the test, the outcome can look like this:
- A shift in color,
- A shift in a marked line, or the appearance of a symbol, like a plus or minus,
- On a test window, the words “pregnant” or “not pregnant”
How Does Blood Pregnancy Test work?
Blood pregnancy tests analyze your blood for the presence of HCG. If a blood test detects HCG, it indicates that you’re pregnant. Blood-based pregnancy tests are more accurate than urine-based tests.
The blood test can detect a pregnancy earlier than a urine test about 10 days after conception. This test is performed by a medical professional.
These tests are more accurate when done in the first trimester. This is because the number of HCG increases during the first 8-10 weeks of pregnancy. Blood-based pregnancy tests can be inconvenient. You have to visit a doctor or a lab to get your blood drawn and get the results.
Types of Blood Tests for Pregnancy:
- Qualitative Blood Test
A quantitative blood test that counts the precise concentration of hCG in your blood, is often known as a beta hCG test. Even trace levels of hCG can be found. It can also reveal how many weeks you are pregnant to both you and your doctor.
- Qualitative Blood Test
A qualitative hCG blood test examines the presence or absence of the pregnancy hormone. The accuracy of the qualitative hCG blood test is similar to that of a urine test.
How Do Digital Pregnancy Tests Work?
Digital pregnancy tests use your urine to detect the amount of hCG in your body. They then interpret the results of this analysis and show them to you in words, as well as with a smiley face or a frowning face.
If the test shows a smiley face or displays a word “pregnant”, it indicates that you’re pregnant. If a digital pregnancy test shows a frowning face, it indicates that you’re not pregnant. Most digital pregnancy tests are very easy to use. You don’t have to do anything special to use them. All you have to do is to pour some urine on the strips and the test will do the rest.
Understanding HCG, the Pregnancy Hormone
Human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone that’s produced during pregnancy. HCG’s main function is to help the placenta produce estrogen and progesterone.
The hormone is also essential for the fetus’s development. If a pregnancy test detects high amounts of hCG in your body, it indicates that you’re pregnant. It’s important to note that hCG levels are different in various parts of the body.
These levels change over time as well. That’s why it’s important to take a pregnancy test at the right time. If you take a pregnancy test too early, the test might give you a false negative result. If you take a pregnancy test too late, the test might give you a false positive result.
