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By Mayo Clinic staffWait for two weeks before taking an at-home pregnancy test, when pregnancy hormone levels are at a measurable level. Testing too soon could result in a false-negative — meaning that the test result is negative when, in fact, you really are pregnant. Conversely, if you're using ovulation-inducing medication such as HCG, testing too soon could produce a false-positive — a test result that indicates a pregnancy when you really aren't pregnant — due to the HCG that's still circulating in your body.
Your doctor may instruct you to return for a blood test, which is more sensitive in detecting pregnancy hormones after fertilization.
If you don't become pregnant, you might try IUI again before moving on to other fertility treatments. Often, the same therapy is used for three to six months to maximize chances of pregnancy.
- Lobo RA. Infertility: Etiology, diagnostic evaluation, management, prognosis. In: Katz VL, et al. Comprehensive Gynecology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208702118-2/0/1524/267.html?tocnode=53760021&fromURL=267.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-02951-3..50044-3_1301. Accessed July 2, 2010.
- Hornstein MD, et al. Treatment of unexplained infertility. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 2, 2010.
- Middleton NR, et al. Procedure for intrauterine insemination. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 2, 2010.
- Resnick DJ, et al. The approach to conception for women with seminal plasma protein hypersensitivity. American Journal of Reproductive Immunology. 2004;52:42.
- Doody KJ. Treatment of the infertile couple. In: Schorge JO, et al. Williams Gynecology. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3158038. Accessed July 2, 2010.
- Levine BA, et al. Intrauterine insemination and male subfertility. Urologic Clinics of North America. 2008;35:271.
- Dickey RP, et al. Effect of diagnosis, age, sperm quality, and number of preovulatory follicles on the outcome of multiple cycles of clomiphene citrate-intrauterine insemination. Fertility & Sterility. 2002;78:1088.
- Guzick DS, et al. Efficacy of superovulation and intrauterine insemination in the treatment of infertility. New England Journal of Medicine. 1999;340:177.
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