Pregnancy Tests

Finding out if you’re pregnant can be an extremely nerve-wracking and exciting time. Nowadays, with advances in technology and product design and development, pregnancy tests can identify if you’re pregnant earlier than ever before and there is now a vast range of different tests on the market.

There are two different types of pregnancy test; blood tests and urine tests. At home tests are always urine tests, while blood tests are only used by doctors. Most women who experience symptoms of pregnancy carry out a home test before going to see their GP but this is up to the individual. Home pregnancy tests are widely available from chemists, high street stores and supermarkets and generally cost in the region of £5-£10.

How do pregnancy tests work?

Pregnancy tests work by detecting the HCG hormone (human chorionic gonadotrophin); this is commonly known as the pregnancy hormone. When an egg becomes fertilised, the body starts to secrete this hormone in order to prepare for pregnancy.

Urine tests work by using special manmade anticlonal antibodies to identify HCG; if HCG is present in the urine, it will react with the antibodies and cause a change in the appearance of the line which indicates of you are pregnant or not; if the line appears, this will confirm you are pregnant and many tests also determine how far along you are by the colour of the line; the darker the line, the more concentrated the HCG in the urine and the further along you are.

Blood tests also work by identifying HCG; the samples are carried out in a laboratory and can detect whether or not there is HCG in the bloodstream. Qualitative tests give a yes or no answer, while quantitative tests tell you how far along you are; they work by measuring the quantity of HCG in the blood.

This guide will offer essential information about pregnancy tests and provide answers to all the important questions surrounding pregnancy tests, including the following and more:

• Pregnancy Tests
• What types of pregnancy test are available?
• What is the difference between blood and urine pregnancy tests?
• When should you take a pregnancy test?
• How do you do a home pregnancy test?
• How accurate are home pregnancy tests?
• I got a negative result on a home pregnancy test. Might I still be pregnant?
• What to do if you find out you are pregnant?
• Homemade pregnancy tests
• Online pregnancy tests
• Ovulation Tests
• Increasing the chances of getting pregnant
• Pregnancy Tests FAQ