When to buy a pregnancy test after a delay. When is the best time to take a pregnancy test? False positive pregnancy test result
At certain points in her life, every woman has suspicions that this month, instead of the next menstruation, completely different news can await her. Some perceive this opportunity with joy and a lot of positive emotions, while others are upset and wait for their suspicions to be refuted with hope and worries. But in any case, a woman always wants to know as soon as possible whether a new life has arisen inside her.
Modern medicine offers a lot of opportunities to eliminate such issues, the most common of which are special tests.
But not every woman knows what day the test shows pregnancy, and often I try to conduct a study a few days after unprotected intercourse, reassured by the negative test results and surprised by the delay in menstruation.
How pregnancy tests work
The basis of any test is made up of simple indicators that make it easy to find out about your possible interesting position at home. At what day of pregnancy the test shows the correct result depends on the test itself, its features, the manufacturer's company and quality. The effectiveness of tests for initial terms ranges from 97 to 99%, therefore, if the determining device is not defective, the result of the study will be reliable in most cases. However, it is recommended to purchase 2-3 different tests, to confirm the results obtained, especially on the most early dates, and apply them strictly following the instructions.
To know exactly at what time to apply a pregnancy test so as to get the most correct result, you need to find out what exactly it defines. The simplest pregnancy test is a small thin strip of canton, in a certain place of which is applied special reagent. When the strip is immersed in urine, the reagent gets wet and changes color, while the second line on the test appears when there is elevated level a pregnancy hormone called chorionic gonadotropin, the production of which in a woman's body begins immediately, as soon as conception occurs, increasing every day until a certain period.
The accuracy of pregnancy tests depending on their types
Many women are concerned not only at what stage of pregnancy the test shows, but also which one is the most effective and accurate, because pharmacies offer an extensive selection of such devices from the simplest to professional laboratory ones.
Test strip or strip test
This type is probably the most popular and simplest, as well as the cheapest, but without high degree sensitivity. The strip must be lowered into a container with urine for about 10 seconds, and then left on a flat surface for about 5 minutes for a more accurate manifestation of the result. Two lines on the reagent strip will indicate the presence of pregnancy, one line indicates that the study itself was carried out correctly, but conception did not occur, or the level of the pregnancy hormone is below the required concentration.
Despite the high popularity of these strips, they have many disadvantages, for example, they can be overexposed to collected urine or take it out before the allotted time, then the results obtained may be unreliable. In addition, the reagent in such strips is most often applied to a paper layer (sometimes tissue), which may not correctly determine the level of the hormone.
It makes sense to use such a test only on the first or second day of delayed menstruation, since for the study hCG level should not be lower than 25 mIU / ml. At this time, the reliability of the strip will be approximately 90%. With a delay of one week, the percentage of pregnancy detection efficiency increases to 95-99%.
Tablet type test
The device has enough high cost in comparison with other species, but also a more advanced device for determining pregnancy. This type of test is commonly used in many hospitals for professional analysis. Its action is also based on the use of a reagent that interacts with the urine of a woman, but it has a high sensitivity.
There are two windows on the test device, in the first one, using the supplied pipette, you need to drop urine, and then wait for the result to appear in the second window. The level of pregnancy hormone for testing with such a device must be at least 10 mIU / ml, so the test is able to establish pregnancy at the very beginning, sometimes even 1-2 days before the delay in menstruation.
Inkjet tests
A feature of such a device is that for their use it is not necessary to specifically collect urine in a container, it is enough to urinate on the receiving part of the device, which allows you to conduct a study anywhere, even at work, simply by visiting the toilet. The test result is displayed within 1 minute. The sensitivity of such tests is very high; to determine pregnancy, a hormone concentration above 10 mIU / ml is sufficient, so show reliable result such devices can and a few days before the expected delay.
Electronic digital test
It is the most expensive device on the market today, but also the most understandable, as it shows an accurate and unambiguous result. The principle of its operation is similar to other models, but the accuracy is as high as possible and may have a different percentage, depending on the day of pregnancy. When using such a test about 4 days before the expected delay, its accuracy will be about 51%. If applied 3 days before the onset of menstruation, the accuracy increases to 82%, and 2 days - to 90%. The day before the next menstruation, the accuracy will be 95%, and on the first day of the delay, the information content of the test will be 99-100%.
There are several other tests that can determine pregnancy on initial stage even before the expected delay in menstruation, they are called immunochromatographic. Their action is based on general principle, but the sensitivity of pregnancy detection is higher. Such tests in most cases make it possible to establish the presence of pregnancy already when the hormone level in the urine is 10 mIU / ml, that is, from the 7th day after the fertilization of the egg.
Types of such tests:
- Test strips. Most a budget option a study showing a fairly reliable result, but when choosing such a test, one should pay attention to its sensitivity, which can range from 10 to 30 mIU / ml, the lower this indicator on the test package, the earlier it will be able to confirm or deny the presence of pregnancy.
- Inkjet tests. You can use such a test anywhere and at any time of the day, using 7-10 days after the intended fertilization, since their sensitivity is determined by the hormone concentration in the urine of 20 mIU / ml. If such a device is used correctly and in due date, then its reliability is 99%.
- Tablet cassette test. Of all the devices that can determine pregnancy even before the delay of menstruation, this type is considered the most reliable. Its sensitivity is 10 mIU/ml, which at correct application allows you to detect the presence of pregnancy from the 7th day after the alleged fertilization.
On what day after intercourse the test can show pregnancy
Of course, any woman needs to know how long a pregnancy test shows the most reliable information. It is important to understand that the level hCG hormone does not increase instantly, it happens gradually, and in the earliest stages in the blood, its concentration will be much higher than in the urine of a woman. Pregnancy tests are able to detect its presence only when the level of the hormone reaches the required indicator, according to their sensitivity, which is different for each model.
As a rule, conventional test strips are able to show a reliable result only on the first day of a missed period, on average, this is 11-15 days after ovulation. The higher the sensitivity of the test, the earlier it can be used to find out about possible pregnancy. When using highly sensitive tests (from 10 mIU / ml), you can find out about your situation already 5 days before the expected delay.
It is also necessary to take into account the reliability of the result, which in some cases may be false negative.
False positive result tests is enough frequent in a certain category of women for whom pregnancy becomes an obsession and the most cherished dream. They begin to look for any signs of pregnancy even in the most minor things constantly being excited nervous state, because of which there are often delays in menstruation, giving rise to almost 100% confidence in pregnancy. In this case, even in the normal state, a small amount of hCG may appear in the urine, which can color the test indicator in a very pale color, perceived by women as confirmation of pregnancy, which in reality is not. Such a phenomenon in modern medicine called a false pregnancy.
False negative result is also quite common. It can be observed when the pregnancy has actually occurred, but the test strips do not show this. This happens for a number of reasons, for example:
- The test has been applied on too short term pregnancy, when the level of the required hormone is still insufficient for exact definition states.
- There is a threat of termination of pregnancy immediately after conception.
- The test is corrupted, applied incorrectly, or of very poor quality.
- A woman has a malfunction of the kidneys or the cardiovascular system, due to which the pregnancy hormone is not produced in the required amount.
- If the pregnancy is intrauterine or frozen.
- If the study was conducted without following the instructions in violation of the process.
- Diluted urine, not a sterile container, was used for analysis.
- The test was performed after the use of diuretics or at the wrong time (day or late night).
At normal development pregnancy, almost all types of tests determine its presence reliably, if there were no violations of the instructions during their use. AND false negative results such studies are much less common than false positives. If the woman is sure of the onset of pregnancy, and the test did not confirm this, the study should be repeated in a few days, when the concentration of the required hormone in the urine increases. If several tests indicate pregnancy, the woman should contact medical Center for medical confirmation and registration so that the baby is born healthy.
When should you take a pregnancy test?
Answers
Most women try to find out about their pregnancy as early as possible. The reasons for this interest are different for everyone. But curiosity takes its toll, and they try to quickly acquire special tests. First of all, you need to understand how they work, and then decide when to take a pregnancy test?
How does a pregnancy test work?
The pregnancy test works on the principle of determining chorionic gonadotropin(hcg). As a rule, the sensitivity of tests is not more than 25 mIU / ml. HCG begins to be produced after the embryo attaches to the uterus. Moreover, the level of this hormone doubles every day. Therefore, if ovulation took place on the 12th day of the cycle, then the fetal egg is implanted after 8 days.
HCG begins to rise from the 20th day from the beginning of the previous menstruation. At this time, its level is 2 mIU / ml, on day 21 - 4 mIU / ml. Its number is doubling every day. As a result, on day 24, the hCG level exceeds 25 mIU / ml. This is how much a pregnancy test can record. But there are products that also determine 20 mIU / ml. However, you need to understand that ovulation can occur on the 14th, 15th and other days of the cycle. In addition, the path of a fertilized egg to the uterus may take not 8, but 10 days.
In order to do the test, it is worth waiting a few days after the delay. By this time in female body a sufficient amount of chorionic gonadotropin will be produced, which can be determined in the urine using a test.
Most products are labeled 99% accurate on the packaging and can be done on the first day of delay. But scientists have proven that this statement is not true. Through research, it was found that out of 18 pregnancy tests, only one is sensitive enough to determine the level of hCG that many pregnant women experience on the first day of a delay. The remaining tests were able to detect pregnancy at this time only in 16% of cases.
However, in the event that ovulation was early, you can find out the presence of pregnancy even before the delay in menstruation. At this time, the test may show a faint second line. And when late ovulation in the first few days of delay, it will show only one strip. Therefore, experts with a negative result recommend repeating the test in a couple of days. Also, women think about taking a pregnancy test in the morning or in the evening? The highest concentration of hCG is observed after sleep. Therefore, the test must be done on morning urine.
In addition, before diagnosing, you need to check the expiration date and the tightness of the package, since the test deteriorates due to moisture. First you need to read the instructions, because different brands of tests can be used in different ways.
Influence of the time of day on the use of a pregnancy test
Almost all women try to quickly find out if there is a pregnancy. But at an early stage, it is advisable to fully comply with the instructions for the test. When doing a pregnancy test, it is worth remembering that in the morning urine the concentration of hCG is higher, which means that the accuracy of the result is much higher. However, with a long delay, this test will show pregnancy, both in the afternoon and in the evening.
But still, some conditions must be observed:
- A pregnancy test should only be performed on fresh urine. Before the study, you should not use diuretics or eat watermelon, otherwise the urine will be diluted, and an incorrect result may be obtained.
- Before the diagnosis, you should not urinate for three to four hours. During this time, urine will be able to concentrate.
- In some cases, the reliability of the product is affected by the conditions and shelf life of the test.
- Also, before conducting the test, you must carefully read the instructions for it.
Compliance with all of the above conditions increases the reliability of the result.
Questionable pregnancy test results
Sometimes pregnancy tests show questionable results. This can happen for a number of reasons:
- too much early diagnosis(even if you are pregnant, the test will show a negative result);
- violation of the rules for using tests prescribed in the instructions;
- use of low-quality tests;
- the presence of diseases that increase the concentration of hCG, or the use of drugs containing this hormone.
In this case, it is necessary to purchase another test and carry out diagnostics in accordance with all the rules. It is advisable to do several tests, and from different manufacturers. This virtually eliminates the possibility of error.
It is worth noting that a negative result does not mean the absence of pregnancy. Therefore, if menstruation has not come, experts recommend repeated diagnostics. It is also advisable to consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
You should understand how they work, what varieties exist, and also distinctive features. First of all, it is necessary to distinguish between two main types of pregnancy tests - highly sensitive and medium sensitive. The sensitivity of the test can be read in the instructions for use, in which it is indicated by numbers. So, if the instructions indicate that the test is able to determine the concentration of chorionic gonadotropin in the urine at 20 - 25 IU / l, then it has an average sensitivity. Tests with high sensitivity include systems capable of detecting the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin in the urine, starting with a concentration of 10 IU / l.
Highly sensitive tests are most often inkjet or tablet and represent the latest generation of rapid pregnancy detection systems. Sensitive tests are able to detect the presence of pregnancy, starting from the 7th day from the moment of conception. That is, it is highly sensitive tests that can be used even before the delay of menstruation, if a full week has already passed after unprotected intercourse. Manufacturers of such highly sensitive tests in the instructions for use indicate that they can be done 1 to 3 days before the date of the expected menstruation. However, in order to obtain accurate, correct and reliable results, it is recommended to wait for a delay in menstruation, and then take a test the very next day. Practical gynecologists and scientists recommend doing a highly sensitive pregnancy test, not based on the date of the next or past menstruation, but simply counting 7 to 10 days from the moment of unprotected intercourse. If you do a test on the 7th day after intercourse, then it can be mistaken and show a negative result against the background of pregnancy in about 8% of cases. Therefore, it is better to do a highly sensitive test on the 10th day after intercourse, because after this period of time, the accuracy of the study is already 99%.
Moderately sensitive tests are able to detect pregnancy from the third week of gestation, that is, from the 15th day after unprotected intercourse. Tests with an average sensitivity of 20 - 25 IU / L are ordinary and familiar paper strips and some tablet options. In the instructions for use of medium-sensitive tests, manufacturers indicate that they can be used from the first day of delay. However, such a test will show the presence of pregnancy on the first day of delayed menstruation, if the conception occurred exactly in the middle of the cycle, that is, when two full weeks. If unprotected intercourse was 2 to 3 days before the start of the next menstruation, then the medium-sensitive test will not detect the onset of pregnancy on the first day of the delay, since at least two weeks have not passed since conception. That is why practical gynecologists and scientists recommend doing a pregnancy test with a sensitivity of 20 - 25 IU / l, not focusing on the delay in menstruation, but simply counting 15 days from the date of unprotected intercourse.
If a woman does not want to count the days from the date of unprotected intercourse in order to know exactly when she should take a pregnancy test, she can use the following simple recommendations practicing gynecologists:
- A high sensitivity test of 10 IU/l should be done from 2 to 3 days late in menstruation;
- A test with an average sensitivity of 20 - 25 IU / L should be done after 2 weeks of missed menstruation.
How long does it take to use a pregnancy test to determine whether a girl is pregnant or not? Today in the pharmacy you can buy a variety of types of tests, according to the method of use. Can a pregnancy test be wrong? In the early stages, no research is able to give a 100% result. How and for how long can pregnancy be determined? How to distinguish real pregnancy from self-indulgence? Can pregnancy tests be wrong?
Attachment must occur after intercourse gestational sac which takes at least 5 days. Accordingly, a week after unprotected intercourse, NO ONE QUALITATIVE TEST can show two strips.
P.S. The test can show pregnancy from the first day of delay (as the test instructions say), but not earlier than 14 days after unprotected intercourse. Reliable tests - Evy and Frau in the morning. For more later dates a pregnancy test will work even at any time of the day, since the concentration of gonadotropic hormone in biological fluids (blood and urine) is steadily increasing. At an earlier date, pregnancy can be confirmed by a blood test for hCG.
How to determine pregnancy more reliably?
The easiest way to define it is use the test sold in pharmacies. But keep in mind that rapid tests should be used in certain days cycle and clearly according to the instructions. Even so, they only offer an 80-90% guarantee. If doubts do not leave you, see a gynecologist- already at 3-4 weeks from the beginning of the delay in menstruation, you can do an ultrasound scan and determine pregnancy with 100% accuracy.
When to take a pregnancy test?
When can I take a pregnancy test to get the correct result? If earlier our mothers and grandmothers could find out about their pregnancy for a period of 2-3 months and probably only after an examination by a gynecologist, then you and I have a great opportunity to find out about our new status future mother when the embryo is not yet visible even on ultrasound. To do this, you only need to spend no more than a hundred rubles to buy a pregnancy test. This little thing is not a cunning action, it will show quite accurately whether you are in a position or not. However, manufacturers recommend testing only from the first day of delay, while women who want to get pregnant do not want to wait that long. At what time, when can pregnancy be determined? Let's figure it out.
On what day of pregnancy can the test show pregnancy?
The test reacts with two strips to the content of the hormone chorionic gonadotropin in the urine. And this hormone begins to be produced by the chorion, which then turns into the placenta. So, hCG can be diagnosed as early as 9-10 days after conception, after the fertilized egg is embedded in the uterine wall. If we take, for example, the average menstrual cycle at 28 days, when ovulation occurs on day 14, it turns out that you can test 3-4 days before the expected day of the onset of menstruation. If your cycle is longer or shorter, then the same in a simple way you can calculate the days for a more or less accurate diagnosis for yourself.
It goes without saying that not all tests are equally accurate in diagnosing early pregnancy. In pharmacies, you can see tests with different sensitivities. Usually, the higher it is, the higher the price. The lower the number on the package, the more reliable the test. So, a test with a sensitivity of 20 is more reliable than one with a sensitivity of 25, since the first one reacts to a lower concentration of the hCG hormone in the urine, that is, diagnosis is possible at the earliest possible time.
When to take a pregnancy test, what time of day? It is recommended in the morning, and a few hours before that it is advisable not to go to the toilet. For long periods, when the level of chorionic gonadotropin is already quite high, you can test at any time of the day.
When can I take a pregnancy test if it shows a dubious result? Quite often, not too high-quality tests show a very weak second line. As a rule, such a strip (if it is not a figment of the imagination of a woman) appears in the early stages of pregnancy. Then, the longer the period, the brighter the strip will be on the test. Erroneous results may appear if the rules for performing the test described on the package are violated. For example, if you hold it in a container with urine more or vice versa less than the manufacturer recommends. You also need to watch the result after a certain amount of time, and not later or earlier. If the second line appeared 3 hours after testing, it can hardly be regarded as an indicator of pregnancy.
Pregnancy is an almost magical state that requires maximum attention and responsibility from women. It is better if it is diagnosed as early as possible. To say for sure or not, only a specialist can, and two cherished strips on the test can become the reason for the appeal. When should you take a pregnancy test?
To understand this, you need to know what a test is. In its simplest form, this is paper strip, impregnated in a certain place with a special substance that changes color when reacting with a hormone (hCG). It appears in the blood of every pregnant woman.
This hormone is necessarily produced when the egg is attached to the uterus. Purely theoretically, pregnancy can be determined already at this moment, in practice, the concentration of hCG in the blood at this time is minimal, and will reach the required value only after a few days.
Experts do not advise doing menstruation, the probability of a positive result is too small, even if there is a pregnancy. However, much depends on the sensitivity of the test. Sensitivity can be from 10 to 25 mIU/ml. Have you chosen your pregnancy test? In how many days can you expect true result? With maximum sensitivity already on the 4th day from the attachment of the embryo.
This usually happens on the 7-10th day. If attachment occurs on day 7, the required concentration of hCG is reached by day 10-11. That is, purely theoretically, on the 11th day, the test may well already show a positive result. But the probability of this is quite small.
After all, it may very well be that attachment will occur only on day 10, which means that the amount of hCG may not be enough. In this case, a reliable result can be obtained no earlier than 14 days after conception. In fact, this corresponds to the day a woman is supposed to start her period.
So when should you take a pregnancy test? From the foregoing, we can conclude that it makes no sense to do a test without waiting for a delay, there is a high risk of getting a negative result, and getting upset ahead of time.
But all these calculations are valid only for a test with high sensitivity. In case of less sensitive test you have to wait another week. Only then will the results be as reliable as possible. This is exactly how experts answer women's questions when to do a pregnancy test.
Do not rely entirely on the test. To be sure, it is better to make several of them. And with the results, you need to go to the doctor, and do a blood test for hCG. In any case, with a long delay in menstruation, it will not be possible to do without contacting a specialist, even if negative test. Firstly, each organism is individual, and for a number of reasons, the amount of the hormone in the blood and urine can vary greatly. In this case, the rapid test will give a negative result, even if the woman is pregnant. In addition, the test may be defective, although this is rare, but it happens. Secondly, even if there really is no pregnancy, it is necessary to determine in what way this may be due to banal stress, or may indicate illness. It is necessary to start treating them as early as possible, otherwise the consequences may be irreversible.
By the way, if a woman’s period began at the right time, but there are other symptoms that may indicate pregnancy, it still makes sense to do the test, in some cases, menstruation in pregnant women continues for several more months.
I would like to believe that this article gave a detailed answer to the question "When should I take a pregnancy test?" Still, early is the key to the health of a woman and a child.
