Pregnancy tests work by looking for a hormone called human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). This hormone is usually made in your body when you are pregnant. Show
A pregnancy test can find hCG (and give a positive result) in your urine when there is enough in your system. Traces of hCG can be found in your urine from 6 days after the fertilised egg implants in your womb (uterus). The amount continues to build each day. Most pregnancy tests give an accurate result from the first day of your missed period. If your periods are irregular and you’re not sure when your period is due, do the test at least 21 days after you last had unprotected sex. Taking a home pregnancy testYou can buy a home pregnancy test from a chemist or supermarket or on the internet. Every pregnancy test is different, so make sure you read the instructions carefully. You can take the test at any time of the day, it doesn’t have to be in the morning. You need to hold the end of the pregnancy test in a stream of wee (urine), or collect your wee in a clean container and dip it in. Check the instructions to find out what symbol will display on the test if it is positive. The test will tell you if you are pregnant within minutes. If it says you are pregnant, it is almost certain that you are. If your pregnancy test was negativeA negative result can be less accurate. It may not be reliable if:
Ask your pharmacist if your medications may affect the results of a pregnancy test. If you continue to have symptoms or you still don’t get your period, take another test in a week’s time. Talk to your GP if you continue to get negative results and still don't have a period.
Pregnancy tests at your doctor or local chemistSome pharmacists offer pregnancy tests for free, or you may be charged a small fee. Your GP may offer you a pregnancy test as part of a consultation. For example, if you are not getting your periods but any pregnancy tests you’ve taken at home are negative. You will need to take a sample of your urine in a clean, soap-free container. If you are going to your GP, you can get pots to put your sample in from the surgery. You may have to wait up to a few days for the result. But if your urine sample is tested on the spot, you will probably be given the result after just a few minutes. What to do next after a positive pregnancy testIf you did a test to confirm a pregnancy lossSometimes your healthcare professional may ask you to do a pregnancy test after a suspected early miscarriage. This is sometimes needed to make sure that your hCG levels are reducing. If the test shows you're still pregnant, you may need to have further tests. A miscarriage can be traumatic. Find out what support is available if you or a loved one has experienced pregnancy loss. If you’re not sure you want to be pregnantIt’s natural to feel a range of different emotions when you find out you’re pregnant. If you’re not sure what you want to do, it's important to take some time to think about your options. Talking to people you trust and getting information about your options can help you decide. You may want to talk to a partner, family or friends. Other people may give you some helpful advice, but ultimately this is your decision. If you prefer to speak to someone less close to you, you can talk to your GP or a local community sexual health clinic. These services are confidential. If you want to continue with the pregnancyWhether you’ve been planning to get pregnant or not, seeing a positive pregnancy test can be overwhelming. You may need some time to digest the news. You don’t have to tell anyone straight away, unless you want to. One of the first things you’ll need to do is to let your local midwives know that you’re pregnant so they can organise your antenatal care. You may be able to self-refer to your local maternity unit directly. Visit the hospital website to find out more. Speak to your GP if you can’t self-refer or if you think your pregnancy may be high-risk (for example, if you have a long-term condition, such as diabetes, or you are over 40). They will tell the midwifery team you are pregnant. It is very important to tell your GP, midwife or specialist about any medication you may be on. They can make sure you are on the safest medication for you and baby. Do not stop taking any medication without talking to your GP or specialist first. Find out more about what to do now that you’re pregnant.
An early pregnancy test becomes positive only after the fertilized egg implants in the uterus and then sends enough amounts of hCG, human chorionic gonadotropin, the pregnancy hormone, into your bloodstream, and from there into urine. A urine pregnancy test (home pregnancy test or HPT) checks for the presence of the pregnancy hormone hCG. How fertile are you? Get your own free personalized fertility report. A urine pregnancy test is usually not positive until the time of a missed period, about 5-6 days after implantation, while the blood hCG test can be positive a few days earlier than the urine test.
Obie is your reproductive health coach, helping you reach your goal with expert personalized guidance. Not an iOS user? Sign up to be the first to know about Obie for Android. With most current pregnancy test kits, hCG can be detected in the urine as early as 3-4 days after implantation, though it often takes longer. If you are pregnant, on the day you miss your period about 74% of HPTs will be positive. So a negative pregnancy test is normal in about 26% of all pregnancies, and you may have to retest until you know the most accurate results. At 10+ days after the missed period, a negative HPT result makes pregnancy unlikely. Positive pregnancy test results can show up any time before or after a missed period. Go to the Pregnancy Test Calculator and find out more The graph below shows the % of positive urine tests by day if you are pregnant:  The chart below shows the % of positive urine tests by day if you are pregnant:Expected Menstrual Period: How often is the pregnancy test usually positive if you are pregnant? 3 days before expected period: 51% positive2 days before expected period: 62% positive1 day before expected period: 68% positiveDay of expected period: 74% positive1 day after expected period: 79% positive2 days after expected period: 85% positive3 days after expected period: 90% positive 7+ days after expected period: 96% positive When is a blood pregnancy test positive?The blood pregnancy test generally provides greater accuracy earlier. If you are pregnant, your blood test will usually be positive within 3-4 days after implantation or about 9-10 days after fertilization and ovulation, which is roughly 5-6 days before a missed period. The earliest you can get a positive result on the most sensitive pregnancy tests is 3-4 days after implantation, 11-12 days after ovulation/fertilization or about 2 days prior to your next period. But the majority of home pregnancy tests will not be positive until you miss a period. LEARN more about your pregnancy test knowledge by taking the Pregnancy Test Quiz Implantation needs to occur before hCG is produced, and implantation generally happens between 6-12 days post ovulation/fertilization, so the HPT would be positive as early as 11-12 days after ovulation/fertilization. For this reason, it makes sense to wait until 10-12 days after ovulation. However, even 10-12 days after ovulation, over one-half of pregnant women will still show a negative result. LEARN more about your pregnancy test knowledge by taking the Pregnancy Test Quiz Your hCG levels should rise at least 60% every 2 days and many people won't have a positive HPT until the first day of a missed period or even a few days later. Test Results of the HPT Urine Pregnancy Test
Four factors determine when a home pregnancy test becomes positive1. Timing of implantationDetection of hCG depends on the timing of implantation, so hCG can normally be detected in the blood between nine and 16 days after ovulation. Urine hCG can be detected about two to three days after blood hCG can first be seen. 2. Blood hCG levelThere is a wide normal variation of hCG levels, both in the blood and the urine, and this wide range changes the timing of how early can pregnancy be detected. If a woman has a normal but low blood hCG levels, then it can take several more days for it to show up on a pregnancy test. 3. Urine hCG levelUrine hCG levels change over the course of the day depending on how much you drink and how diluted or concentrated the urine. How early pregnancy can be detected depends on the urine concentration and the quality of the early pregnancy test. If you drink a lot of fluid, the urine may be too diluted early on in pregnancy to achieve an hCG concentration adequate enough for a positive test. 4. The sensitivity of the pregnancy testDifferent pregnancy tests have different sensitivities and that has an impact on how early can pregnancy be detected. The lower the sensitivity, the earlier a pregnancy test becomes positive. Sensitivities are indicated in mIU/mL, the lowest amount of hCG in the urine that tests positive. A sensitivity of 20 mIU/mL requires one-half the hCG level to be positive when compared with a 40 mIU/mL sensitivity level, and it may become positive several days earlier than the pregnancy test with a higher sensitivity. Make sure you read the package of the pregnancy test to determine your pregnancy test's sensitivity. Read More: |
When can a pregnancy test be positive
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