How Does A Pregnancy Test Work?
To put it as simply as possible, a pregnancy test works by searching for a particular hormone. This hormone is found in the blood, or the urine, and is only present if a woman gets pregnant. The name of this hormone is hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin. It is quite often referred to as "the pregnancy hormone," due to its presence only during pregnancy.
What Is hCG?
First you must understand how hCG is created? Human chorionic gonadotropin is created when a fertilized egg begins to implant itself onto the walls of the uterus. This occurrence usually takes place six days after conception.
This time frame is not the case for all women. There have been studies showing the embryo having not really implanted itself until some time later in many women.
How Good Is A Home Pregnancy Test?
There are many home pregnancy tests that claim in their advertising that they are capable to telling if a woman is pregnant as early as the first day of their expected period. However, studies have shown these home pregnancy tests are not really accurate. The most reliable, and accurate home pregnancy test is one that is done a week after missing a menstrual period.
A Pregnancy Blood, Or Urine Test, Which Is Better?
One of the most commonly used forms of pregnancy test is the blood test. The blood test checks for the presence of hCG. Another commonly used test for the presence of hCG is the urine test. The urine test for pregnancy has the edge in convenience as it can be done in the home. The blood test must be administered in a clinic with a medical specialist present. The urine pregnancy test will determine if one is pregnant as little as two weeks after ovulation.
The blood pregnancy test helps to quickly determine (in as little as 6 days after ovulation) if you are pregnant or not. The blood test will accurately determine the exact quantity of hCG present in the blood, no matter how small. It is this accuracy that makes the blood test the most accurate pregnancy test of all.
Why Take A Home Pregnancy Test?
Many women choose to use home pregnancy tests because of their convenience, and the fact that they are inexpensive methods to help determine pregnancy. The average cost of a home pregnancy test falling between eight, and twenty dollars. Home testing also adds the benefit of being very private.
A home pregnancy test should be conducted first thing in the morning. This will help the test to be more accurate. After taking the test the woman is asked to wait a short time. The amount of time to wait will depend on the type and brand of test used. Once the specific waiting time has passed, the woman will then check the "results window."
The determination of whether you are pregnant or not will show in this window. The result may appear as a color change, a line, or a plus sign. Should the color change be slight, the line very faint, or the plus sign hard to read, does not really matter. A color change is a color change, a line is a line, and a plus sign is a plus sign. They all mean that you are pregnant.
For convenience, and privacy, a home pregnancy test can help one know as quickly, and as accurately as possible whether one is pregnant or not.
Carl DiNello is an Article Author whose articles are featured on websites covering the Internets most popular topics.
To read more on this topic, please visit Carl DiNello is an Article Author whose articles are featured on websites covering the Internets most popular topics.
To read more on this topic, please visit Pregnancy Information & Resources!
WNQA Articles:
HCG Weight Loss: Should You Use Hcg For Weight Loss?
It seems like every six months or so there?s a claim that some wonder drug is going to magically melt pounds away and make you slimmer and trimmer for life. Excuse me if I?m a bit skeptical, but I?m not a big believer in diet pills or potions to lose weight.
40 lb. Sandbags, Old Tires and Empty Kegs - The Exercise Equipment Of Choice For Getting Leaner and Stronger!
With the high drop out rate amongst "New Years Resolution Exercisers," a group of 12 St. Petersburg men have been keeping it fun and meeting their fitness goals with outdoor "Primal" strength camps.
Dieting Tips For Fast Weight Loss - How To Jump-start Your Diet
Do you want to lose weight fast? While there is no diet that will allow you to eat as much as you want and still lose weight, there are things you can do to speed along the process. Good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are the most important aspects of any diet, but there are appetite suppressants and diet aids designed to help you burn fat and increase your metabolic rate.
Ten Weight Loss Tips
Most of us want to lose weight at some time or another, but we are told that to go on a diet is detrimental to our health. So how can we lose weight? Making changes in our lifestyle is the trick. Here are ten easy tips to help you lose weight: -
Stay on Track with Grandma's Ten Commandments for Healthy Weight Loss
Grey developed the Ten Commandments of Healthy Weight Loss as portable tip sheet that will reminds us of weight loss goals even in the most trying situations. Post it on a refrigerator door, bathroom mirror or in the break room at work to keep weight loss efforts focused and reduce the risk of "cheating."
Six Myths About Weight Loss
If you want to lose weight, whether it be for a special occasion or you just want to feel better about yourself than you have probably at some point encountered many false claims regarding weight loss There is so much conflicting information on what to do, what not to do and so on that it can become overwhelming
The keys to successful dating for men
The keys to successful dating for men
A Pregnancy Calculator Can Be Fun!
Add a little fun to your pregnancy with a pregnancy calculator. As wonderful as finding out you are pregnant can be, pregnancy is not an easy phase to go through. In addition to the major changes that a pregnant woman has to go through, such as physical, mental, and emotional changes, there is also the constant concern over the health of her baby.
Online Dating: Russian Women Sites ? Some Quick DO?s and DON?Ts
The market for men seeking to date, form relationships and even marry Russian women (and women from the various Republics inside the former USSR) has never been larger, and seems to be growing every day A quick search of the subject on Google or some other search engine will get you literally thousands of hits and offer you literally hundreds of choices as far as what services to use
Good Parenting Tips - Who Really Writes Parenting Books?
The best parenting books tend to be the ones written by those with actual parental experience. It seems that this qualifies them to write and discuss parenting, but it may not always make them the best authors. Still, when it comes to taking the advice of either a parent with a little dirt on his or her fingers or the advice of an "expert" with no children, many parents would select parenting books written by the former.
New Herbal Nasal Spray Targets Women's Menstrual Periods
Sinus Buster has entered the women's natural health category with the first over the counter nasal spray designed to relieve female menstrual symptoms. As featured in the spring issue of Ms. Fitness magazine, Sinus Buster's new Women's Formula is a breakthrough for relieving a variety of menstrual symptoms.
Teensource.org Supports National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Day
Teensource.org is promoting National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Day in efforts to bring awareness to the high percentage of unplanned teen pregnancies. National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Day is May 7th.
The Importance Of Diet Supplements Combined With Exercise
Regular exercise and intake of supplements are good ways to maintain a healthy body. Most health buffs and health-conscious people are strict on maintaining these two elements in their daily routine. However, the exercise regimen and the consumption of diet supplements of a person would also depend on his motives and his actual health condition. As such, it is no surprise that both diet supplements and exercise are used for different health purposes such as gaining or improving strength, increasing weight, and losing weight.