Pregnancy Test

What is a pregnancy test?

A pregnancy test can tell whether you are pregnant by checking for a particular hormone in your urine or blood. The hormone is called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). HCG is made in a woman's placenta after a fertilized egg implants in the uterus. It is normally made only during pregnancy.

A urine pregnancy test can find the HCG hormone about a week after you've missed a period. The test can be done in a health care provider's office or with a home test kit. These tests are basically the same, so many women choose to use a home pregnancy test before calling a provider. When used correctly, home pregnancy tests are 97–99 percent accurate.

A pregnancy blood test is done in a health care provider's office. It can find smaller amounts of HCG, and can confirm or rule out a pregnancy earlier than a urine test. A blood test can detect pregnancy even before you've missed a period. Pregnancy blood tests are about 99 percent accurate. A blood test is often used to confirm the results of a home pregnancy test.

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Other names: human chorionic gonadotropin test, HCG test

What is it used for?

A pregnancy test is used to find out whether you are pregnant.

Why do I need a pregnancy test?

You may need this test if you think you are pregnant. Symptoms of pregnancy vary from woman to woman, but the most common sign of early pregnancy is a missed period. Other common signs of pregnancy include:

Swollen, tender breasts
Fatigue
Frequent urination
Nausea and vomiting (also called morning sickness)
Bloated feeling in the abdomen

What happens during a pregnancy test?

You can get a home pregnancy test kit at the drug store without a prescription. Most are inexpensive and easy to use.

Many home pregnancy tests include a device called a dipstick. Some also include a collection cup. Your home test may include the following steps or similar steps:

Do the test on your first urination of the morning. The test may be more accurate at this time, because morning urine usually has more HCG.
Hold the dipstick in your urine stream for 5 to 10 seconds. For kits that include a collection cup, urinate into the cup, and insert the dipstick into the cup for 5 to 10 seconds.
After a few minutes, the dipstick will show your results. The time to results and the way the results are shown will vary between test kit brands.
Your dipstick may have a window or other area that shows a plus or minus sign, a single or double line, or the words "pregnant" or "not pregnant." Your pregnancy test kit will include instructions on how to read your results.

If the results show you are not pregnant, you may want to try again in a few days, as you may have done the test too early. HCG gradually increases during pregnancy.

If your results show you are pregnant, you should make an appointment with your health care provider. Your provider may confirm your results with a physical exam and/or a blood test.

During a blood test, a health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This process usually takes less than five minutes.

Will I need to do anything to prepare for the test?

You don't need any special preparations for a pregnancy test in urine or blood.

Are there any risks to the test?

There is no known risk to having a urine test.

There is very little risk to having a blood test. You may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly.

What do the results means?

Your results will show whether you are pregnant. If you are pregnant, it's important to see your health care provider as soon as possible. You may be referred to or may already be receiving care from an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) or a midwife. These are providers who specialize in women's health, prenatal care, and pregnancy. Regular health care visits during pregnancy can help ensure you and your baby stay healthy.

Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.

Is there anything else I need to know about a pregnancy test?

A urine pregnancy test shows whether HCG is present. HCG indicates pregnancy. A pregnancy blood test also shows the amount of HCG. If your blood tests show a very low amount of HCG, it could mean you have an ectopic pregnancy, a pregnancy that grows outside the uterus. A developing baby can't survive an ectopic pregnancy. Without treatment, the condition can be life-threatening for a woman.

A pregnancy test can let you know if you are pregnant. Here are answers to some common questions about them.

What is a pregnancy test, and how does it work?

Pregnancy tests check your pee or blood for a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Your body makes this hormone after a fertilized egg attaches to the wall of your uterus.

This usually happens about 6 days after fertilization. Levels of hCG rise quickly, doubling every 2 to 3 days.

What types of pregnancy tests are available?

Two main types of pregnancy tests are blood tests and urine tests.

Blood tests

A quantitative hCG test (beta hCG) measures the exact amount of hCG in your blood. It can find even very low levels of hCG. These tests may help track problems during pregnancy. Your doctor may use them along with other tests to rule out an ectopic pregnancy, when the fertilized egg implants outside your uterus, or after a miscarriage, when hCG levels fall quickly.

Urine tests

You can take these at home or in a doctor's office.

Along with being private and convenient, home pregnancy tests are quick and easy to use. They’re also very accurate if you follow the directions. These pregnancy tests all work in a similar way. You test your pee in one of these ways:

Hold the test stick in your urine stream
Collect pee in a cup and dip the test stick into it
Collect pee in a cup and use a dropper to put it into another container

You’ll need to wait a few minutes before seeing the results.

After you take this test, you can confirm your results by seeing your doctor, who can do even more sensitive pregnancy tests.

How accurate are pregnancy tests?

Urine home pregnancy tests are about 99% accurate. Blood tests are even more accurate.

A home test’s accuracy depends on:

How closely you follow the instructions
When you ovulate and how soon the egg implants
How soon after pregnancy you take the test
The sensitivity of the pregnancy test

When to Take a Pregnancy Test

Some pregnancy tests can spot hCG before you miss a period. But the results will be more accurate if you wait until the first day of a missed period.

Results may also be more accurate if you do the test first thing in the morning, when your urine is more concentrated.

Where can I get a home pregnancy test?

You can buy a home pregnancy test in a drugstore without a prescription. The cost depends on the brand. But most tests aren’t very expensive.

What do the pregnancy test results mean?

Results may show up as a line, a color, or a symbol such as a "+" or "-" sign. Digital tests show the words "pregnant" or "not pregnant." It's important to know what a positive or negative result means.

If you get a positive result, you’re pregnant. This is true no matter how faint the line, color, or sign is. If you get a positive result, you may want to call your doctor to talk about what comes next.

In very rare cases, you can have a false-positive result. This means you're not pregnant but the test says you are. You could have a false-positive result if you have blood or protein in your pee. Certain drugs, such as tranquilizers, anticonvulsants, hypnotics, and fertility drugs, could cause false-positive results.

If you get a negative result, you’re probably not pregnant. But you may be pregnant if:

The test is past its expiration date.
You took the test the wrong way.
You tested too soon.
Your pee is too diluted because you drank a lot of fluids right before the test.
You’re taking certain medications, such as diuretics or antihistamines.

If you get a negative result, try retesting within about a week to double-check. Some home pregnancy tests suggest doing this no matter what your first results are.

If you take the test twice and get different results, call your doctor. A blood test is a good idea to confirm results.

If you have any other questions about the pregnancy test or the results, call your doctor or the telephone number listed with the test.

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