Getting an early diagnosis of pregnancy is important for medial or social reasons. There are many options available for taking a pregnancy test and examples include using a home pregnancy test kit and visiting your family doctor, family planning clinic or a chemist where the test may be done by a pharmacist. A pregnancy test detects the presence of the (HCG) hormone in urine or in blood. This hormone is produced by the female body when a fertilized ovum attaches itself on the uterus.
The most popular way to test for pregnancy is to use a home pregnancy test kit. In most women, HCG is released six days after conception and the levels of HCG increase with every passing day or pregnancy. On average, these levels double after every two days. A home pregnancy test can detect HCG approximately one week after you miss your period.
Pregnancy test claims can be somewhat misleading especially the kits that promise to offer accurate results if you take the test on the first day of your missed period. According to a study completed by Dr. Laurence Cole and other researchers at the University of New Mexico, the accuracy claims of very early pregnancy tests are deceptive. The reason for this is that there is a high degree of variation in the amount of HCG present in the urine after implantation takes place. These researchers noted that most tests are not sensitive enough to detect the hormone in urine on the first or second day after a woman misses her period.
When to take a test to ensure pregnancy test accuracy
The 97 to 99 percent tests claims in home test kits are true once you are further along in your pregnancy. For this reason, it is appropriate to wait at least one week after you miss your period to take a pregnancy test. The bottom line is that you should wait for as long as you can before testing for pregnancy at home
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7757047
