What Is The Most Accurate Pregnancy Test?
This is really a trick question. There is no pregnancy test that is more accurate than another. The basic rundown on home pregnancy tests is that the best tests are the ones that are used correctly. However, if you want to delve further into the question, you might ask which home pregnancy test brand has the most accurate results when used as early as possible. The answer to this question is a bit different. Of course, the accuracy of a home pregnancy test always relies first and foremost on whether or not the test is used correctly. After that, however, the accuracy rating depends on a few things.
If you want to test prior to your missed period, you’re going to want to use the Clear Blue Easy Pregnancy Test or the First Response Pregnancy Tests.
They are the two most accurate pregnancy test brands on the market. This means that they work better than any other test when used prior to missing your period. All pregnancy tests have a 99 percent accuracy rating when they are used on the first day of your missed period. The accuracy rating prior to that is less each day. To understand this, you should understand how home pregnancy tests work.
Home pregnancy tests are created to detect hCG, the pregnancy hormone, in your urine. This hormone does not appear in your urine until your egg is fertilized, makes the journey through the fallopian tubes, and implants into your uterine wall. It isn’t until this phase is complete that your body begins to produce hCG. All women have an hCG level between 1 and 5 prior to pregnancy. Any hCG level 5 and below is not considered pregnant. Anything above 5 is considered pregnant. However, most tests don’t have the kind of sensitivity needed to detect levels below 25, which is still considered low. The more sensitive tests can sometimes detect levels lower than 25, but it does take the female body approximately 2 to 3 days to double the levels of hCG in the urine. This means it could take as much as a week before your level of hCG is high enough to detect on a home pregnancy test.
In short, any pregnancy test taken prior to missing your period will not be considered as accurate as it will the day of or after your missed period. The more sensitive the pregnancy test, however, the better your chances of seeing a positive result earlier than your missed period.
How Accurate Are Home Pregnancy Test Brands?
Home pregnancy tests are surprisingly accurate. They are not, however, as accurate as a blood test. Even after you see a positive result on a home pregnancy test, your doctor might send you to the lab for a blood test to confirm pregnancy. The reason is that a pregnancy blood test can detect not only pregnancy, but an approximate timeline in your pregnancy. Home pregnancy tests use your urine to detect pregnancy. They’re 99 percent accurate beginning on the first day of your missed period. Prior to that, they do have high accuracy ratings. However, they’re not nearly as high when they’re used early.
Some home pregnancy tests claim they can detect pregnancy as many as six days prior to your missed period. This is only true for some women. Women whose hCG levels double quickly have a better chance of seeing a positive result prior to their missed period, and the chances go up each day you come closer to the date you expect your period to arrive.
In addition to having the highest accuracy ratings the day of your missed period, your tests are going to be more accurate if you use them correctly. No test is 99 percent accurate when it is used incorrectly. Be sure to read the instructions that come with your pregnancy test to ensure you are using the test correctly for the most accurate results. You don’t want to suffer the sadness that comes with seeing a negative result simply because you did not correctly use the test the first time.
How To Get The Most Accurate Pregnancy Test Results?
There are several ways you can get the most accurate pregnancy test results. When used together, your result is pretty clear. The first thing you need to do is test on the right day. All home pregnancy tests are 99 percent accurate when you test on the first day of your missed period. While some are sensitive enough to detect pregnancy sooner, your body might not produce enough of the pregnancy hormone to allow for this. Your chances of an accurate result are a lot less prior to the day you miss your period.
Secondly, your accuracy will decrease if you do not use the first urine of the morning. As the day progresses, your urine becomes diluted from the beverages you consume. For the most accurate results on the day of your missed period, use your first urine of the morning. It also helps to use the option of dipping the absorbent tip of your pregnancy test in a cup of urine you collect rather than holding it in your urine stream. It’s not always easy to hit the stick and it’s sometimes not long enough.
Finally, you’ll want to read the instructions that come with your pregnancy test very carefully. Even if you’ve taken several home pregnancy tests in the past and think you know what to do, you could be mistaken. Each test comes with a unique set of instructions. These instructions differ on occasion. Some want you to hold the absorbent tip of the test in your urine longer or shorter than others. Some want you to wait three minutes for your results to appear, some want you to wait only one. Because each test is different, you run the risk of using it incorrectly if you don’t read the instructions. To receive the most accurate results, just read the instructions on your test prior to use.