How accurate are home pregnancy tests and how soon can you take them?
You're probably familiar with the scene. Pulling the little box out of the drug store bag, ducking into the bathroom, and then waiting and staring at a little plastic stick waiting for it to change.
Inexpensive home pregnancy tests have been a boon to millions of people whether they're hoping for a pregnancy or hoping to avoid one. They are easily available, inexpensive and take very little time (although it may seem longer). But are they reliable? What's the difference between the pricey ones and the ones in the dollar store?
Why is it important to know you are pregnant as soon as possible?
Pregnancy is a life-changing event and you need to make some important decisions, quickly.
If you've been hoping for a pregnancy, you'll need to take steps as early as possible to increase the odds of a healthy childbirth. That can include contacting your healthcare provider for tests, checking with them about any medications you're taking that might need to be put on hold, cutting out alcohol, caffeine and other substances, taking prenatal vitamins, improving your diet and fitness, figuring out your work situation and more.
You also may need to know your status if you're about to move, change your relationship, have a medical procedure or start new medication that could be complicated by pregnancy.
However, if you want or need to end your pregnancy you have only six weeks in Florida from the time your pregnancy starts to get an abortion, which by state law requires two appointments with a 24-hour wait in between. Otherwise, you may need to travel to a state with less restrictive reproductive laws.
About 45% of abortions across the country occur before the sixth week of pregnancy, according to the health news site KFF.
Keep in mind that not everyone's symptoms are the same. One in three pregnant people won't find out they're pregnant until after six weeks, and one in five won't know until after seven weeks, according to a 2021 study from ANSIRH (Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health) at the University of California San Francisco.
"Later confirmation of pregnancy is even higher among young people, people of color, and those living with food insecurity," the study said. Almost two in three teens between ages 15 and 19 who become pregnant don't find out until six weeks or later.
How do home pregnancy tests work?
When a fertilized egg attaches to the lining of your uterus, a placenta starts to form and your body produces a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG. This enters your bloodstream and kidneys and can be detected in your blood or urine, according to a 2022 post at the Cleveland Clinic.
Home pregnancy tests detect hCG. When you pee on a test or dip it in urine, you'll generally get a control indicator — a line, symbol or word — that appears to show it's working, and then another that gives a positive or negative result. Positive means you're pregnant, negative means you are not.
Results are usually displayed after a few minutes and you may have a limited amount of time to read them before the liquid dries. Read the directions on your test to see what to look for.
Home pregnancy tests are usually inexpensive and sold over the counter without a prescription.
When should I take a pregnancy test? How soon can I take one?
If you think you might be pregnant, it's never too early to take a test to check. Most home pregnancy tests can return a positive result as early as 10 days after conception.
However, everyone's body is different and some tests are more sensitive than others. False negatives happen most often from testing too soon or not waiting long enough for the results, according to the Mayo Clinic. For more accurate results, experts say to wait until after you've missed a period, which is usually about 14 days after conception. If your periods are irregular, that can be trickier.
"If your periods are very irregular, or you don’t get periods at all for one reason or another, your best bet for accurate results is to take a pregnancy test 3 weeks after sex," Planned Parenthood said in its page on home tests.
Your hCG levels will be the most concentrated and easier to detect in your first morning pee. Otherwise, wait at least three hours since the last time you peed to take the test.
First Response, the company behind one of the most popular brands, has a "How Soon Can You Take a Pregnancy Test" calculator on its website.
Are home pregnancy tests accurate?
Home pregnancy tests advertise 98-99% accuracy if used properly, about the same level of accuracy as a blood test. But those words "used properly" are doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Levels of hCG rise drastically after implantation, doubling every few days in the first weeks. Most healthcare professionals advise that you wait a week after the day your period should have started.
Note that fertility drugs may cause false positives, and people with irregular periods may find it hard to tell when a period was supposed to start. Check with your healthcare provider to verify your results.
What can cause a false negative?
If used improperly or too soon, a home pregnancy test can return a false negative even if you are pregnant. The most common reasons are:
Taking it too soon after conception
Using too much urine, or not enough
Testing too soon after you've recently peed, or after drinking a lot of water which can dilute the amount of hCG in your bladder
Checking results too soon
The test is expired
If you still have symptoms even after a test reads negative you can take it again after a few days or a week, the Mayo Clinic advises, or get a blood test. Whatever the result, you may want to take two tests a few days apart to verify.
Are cheap pregnancy tests accurate?
The Food and Drug Administration regulates home pregnancy tests so if it's sold legally in the U.S., it's reliable, even if you bought it at a dollar store.
More expensive tests may be more sensitive to hCG and be able to detect it earlier in your pregnancy, others may return results faster or have fancier displays. But they all work the same.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Home pregnancy tests are accurate, inexpensive and fast. What to know
