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Home pregnancy tests: Can you trust the results?
Could you be pregnant? Get answers to common questions about home pregnancy tests.
By Mayo Clinic staffHome pregnancy tests are available without a prescription at most grocery stores and drugstores. Taking a home pregnancy test can be nerve-racking, though, especially if you're not sure whether you can trust the results. Knowing when and how to take a home pregnancy test — as well as some of the pitfalls of home testing — can help ensure an accurate reading.
When should I take a home pregnancy test?
Many home pregnancy tests claim to be accurate as early as the first day of a missed period — or even before. For the most reliable results, however, wait until one week after a missed period.
Shortly after a fertilized egg attaches to your uterine lining, your body begins to produce a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). During early pregnancy, the level of HCG in your blood increases rapidly — often doubling every two days. Home pregnancy tests can reliably detect this hormone in your urine one week after a missed period. Days earlier, however, home pregnancy tests may not be as precise. If it's important to confirm your pregnancy right away, ask your health care provider about a blood test to detect HCG. The blood test — which can be done in your health care provider's office — is more sensitive than is the urine test.
Are there different types of home pregnancy tests?
Various types of home pregnancy tests are available. With most tests, you place the end of a dipstick in your urine stream or immerse the dipstick in a container of collected urine for five to 10 seconds. A few minutes later, the dipstick reveals the test result — often as a plus or minus sign, a line, a color change, or the words "pregnant" or "not pregnant" on a strip or window.
Keep in mind that instructions may vary from kit to kit. Read the instructions carefully before you take the test. If you have questions about how to take the test or interpret the results, contact the manufacturer. Look for a toll-free number or the manufacturer's website in the package instructions.
How accurate are home pregnancy tests?
Many home pregnancy tests claim to be 99 percent accurate on the day you miss your period. Although research suggests that most home pregnancy tests don't consistently spot pregnancy this early, home pregnancy tests are considered reliable when used according to package instructions one week after a missed period.
Next page(1 of 2)
- Bastian LA, et al. Diagnosis and clinical manifestations of early pregnancy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 12, 2010.
- Months 1 and 2 (weeks 1-8). Your Pregnancy and Childbirth: Month to Month. 5th ed. Washington, D.C.: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; 2010:18.
- Home pregnancy tests. The National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/pregnancy-tests.cfm. Accessed July 12, 2010.
- Cole LA. New discoveries on the biology and detection of human chorionic gonadotropin. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. 2009;7:8.
- Welt CK, et al. Etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of secondary amenorrhea. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 12, 2010.
- Fact Plus (product insert). Cincinnati, Ohio: Procter & Gamble; 2008.
- First Response Pregnancy (product insert). Princeton, N.J.: Church & Dwight Co., Inc.; 2003.
- Clearblue Easy (product insert). Waltham, Mass.: Inverness Medical, Inc.; 2006.
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