An effective way to determine pregnancy. Blood test for hCG
The test for determining early pregnancy is based on the determination of a specific pregnancy hormone - human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which begins to be produced 1 day after implantation (attachment) of a fertilized egg to the wall of the uterus.
How does conception occur?
The maturation of the egg and its release from the ovary (ovulation) occurs approximately 14 days before the onset of menstruation in a 28-day menstrual cycle.
Fertilization This egg can be released in approximately 3 - 4 days. According to various authors, fertilization periods can range from 12 - 24 hours to 7 days. The survival of sperm in the female genital tract depends largely on the properties of the seminal fluid. Sperm motility lasts longer than their ability to fertilize.
After fertilization, the egg moves along fallopian tube into the cavity uterus. Transportation of the embryo towards the uterus continues for 5 - 6 days. Having reached the uterine cavity, the fertilized egg remains in a free state for some time and on the 6th - 7th day of the intrauterine period attaches (“sticks”) to the endometrial epithelium, after which it begins to actively penetrate the uterine mucosa (implantation).
From this moment, pregnancy begins to develop, which is reflected by the production of the pregnancy hormone - human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Thus, a few days before the expected menstruation, traces of hCG appear in the body, which can be determined in the urine using home methods from the 1st day of missed menstruation.
In medical institutions, hCG is determined in the blood, detecting pregnancy several days before the expected menstruation, because The sensitivity of the “blood” method is much higher.
Normal level of hCG in blood serum (mU/ml):
Healthy non-pregnant:
0 - 15
Pregnant:
Attention! Standards may vary from laboratory to laboratory.
The mechanism of “work” of a pregnancy test
Pregnancy tests use immunochromatography - a type of chromatographic analysis based on the interaction of the substance being determined (usually of a protein nature) with antibodies to it. The body’s immune system works on the same principle of antigen-antibody interaction, hence the name.
The substance being determined is human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a glycopeptide hormone secreted by the placenta during pregnancy. The appearance and rapid increase in the concentration of hCG in a woman’s body (and in particular in the urine) makes it a fairly reliable sign of pregnancy. Usually, on the 7-10th day after fertilization, the hCG concentration reaches 25 mIU/ml(international units per ml) and doubles every 2-3 days, reaching a maximum between the 8th and 11th weeks of pregnancy, and then decreases to almost zero by the beginning of the 3rd trimester.
25 mIU/ml is the minimum concentration of hCG detected using immunochromatographic tests.
The test strip contains a conjugate (a weak compound) of anti-hCG antibodies with a dye. As the urine sample moves across the absorbent strip, the conjugate binds to the hCG and forms an antigen-antibody complex. In the zone of a positive reaction (“pregnant strip”), the complex binds to anti-hCG antibodies. This releases the dye and produces a red-pink stripe. If there is no hCG in the sample, no strip, of course, will form.
Meanwhile, the urine moves on, passes the zone of a positive reaction and reaches the zone of a negative reaction (the “control strip”). There, the unbound antibody-dye conjugate is bound by the control strip reagents, the dye is released, and a second (control) strip of the same red-pink color is formed.
All reactions occur within 3-5, less often 7 minutes.
In not very high-quality tests, the dye may be cleaved from the conjugate before the entire antibody-hCG-dye complex reaches the reaction zones, forming blurry spots. They are most often taken as a “false positive” result.
Real false positive results are much less common and are caused by very specific reasons. Also, a weak second line may appear if you “overexpose” the test, i.e. Read the readings not after the 5 minutes indicated on the package, but later. This line occurs as a result of the evaporation of water from the surface of the dough, which destroys the conjugates and releases the dye. So you shouldn’t wait 10 minutes instead of 5 to “be sure.”
Since not every woman can accurately follow all the instructions and correctly interpret the test results, doctors, especially old-school ones, are not inclined to trust home tests.
What does a pregnancy test determine?
A pregnancy test detects human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone secreted by the placenta from the moment the embryo implants into the uterine wall throughout pregnancy. The reliability of this test is very high - no placenta, no hCG. HCG can be determined both in the blood (in the laboratory) and in urine (in the laboratory and at home).On what day after ovulation can the test be performed?
In principle, a positive result can be obtained already on the 7th day after ovulation. It takes 6-12 days for an embryo to implant, usually about 10 days. So it makes sense to wait 10-12 days after ovulation, but even in this case there are often false negative results (i.e., there is a pregnancy, but the test is negative).
Tests from different manufacturers have different sensitivity, most of them are designed for use from the 1st day of a missed period.
In 90% ± 5% of cases, by this time the embryo has already implanted into the uterine wall and begins to produce hCG. However, in 10% of cases implantation has not yet occurred. With a delay of 1 week, implantation occurs in 97% ± 3% of cases. However, in practice, the reliability of tests is limited by their sensitivity, so the actual reliability is somewhat lower. Since the hCG level doubles every 2-3 days, this follows the recommendation: if the result is negative, if menstruation does not start, repeat the test in a few days.
What do false positive and false negative test results mean?
False positive result- this is when the test shows two lines in the absence of pregnancy. This happens when a woman takes drugs containing hCG, as well as with trophoblastic tumors. After a spontaneous miscarriage or early abortion or removal of an ectopic pregnancy, hCG remains in the body for some time, and the test gives false positive results (i.e. there is no longer a pregnancy, but the test is still positive).
As in the case of taking drugs containing hCG, to obtain reliable results it is necessary to make two quantitative determinations of hCG with an interval of 2-3 days.
A decrease in hCG levels indicates that there is no longer pregnancy. Thus, false positive results are relatively rare, in contrast to false negatives. The latter are obtained when the pregnancy is still too short and the hCG level is too low to be detected by the test (or the test itself is not sensitive enough).
The reliability of a home test depends on various reasons:
- The quality of the test itself. Products from different companies can vary significantly.
- Shelf life of the test, conditions and place of its storage. It is believed that in most cases the test can be trusted, provided that it is purchased at a pharmacy.
- State of pregnancy. During a pregnancy on the verge of miscarriage, hCG will be produced much less than during a normally developing pregnancy.
- Test conditions: the study must be carried out using the morning portion of urine, in which the maximum content of the hormone is observed; The test must be assessed within the time interval specified in the instructions.
- Additional circumstances. The content of hCG in the urine is affected by your diet and the functional state of your kidneys.
- If you drank a lot of liquid the night before, or ate watermelon, or are taking diuretics (diuretics), the concentration of hormones in your urine will be too low for the test to “not notice” them.
- If you have there is protein in the urine(even if you don’t know anything about it) - the test may give an incorrect result.
- If you were injected with hCG for the purpose of inducing ovulation (drugs Profasi, Pregnil) or to maintain the luteal phase, then traces of this hormone may remain in your body for 10 days after the last dose of the drug, and, accordingly, a pregnancy test may give a false positive result.
- Also, the level of hCG can be determined several weeks after a normal birth, cesarean section, spontaneous or medical abortion, and in other cases mentioned above.
An analysis showing pregnancy (timing and its presence) is called hCG. What it is, on which days of a missed period it is taken, what it shows, when and where it is better to take it to get a reliable result, we will tell you in this material. For all questions related to this topic, in Moscow you can contact the specialists of our gynecology clinic (address and telephone number at the bottom of the page)!
On what day can you donate blood for hCG when pregnancy is indicated?
The question of how many days of delay in menstruation can a hCG analysis show pregnancy is most common among patients who come to the antenatal clinic for an appointment with a gynecologist due to the lack of menstruation at the scheduled time. Taking hCG for express diagnostics of early stages of conception is usually recommended starting from the first day of absence of expected menstruation. In this case, the result will be more reliable. In the case of early ovulation and subsequent conception, hCG tests taken before the onset of menstruation, i.e. even before the delay, can also be informative.
HCG analysis
An hCG test is a laboratory test during which the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin, abbreviated as “hCG,” is determined in a woman’s blood serum. It is produced from the moment of conception, ensuring in the early stages, before the formation of the placenta, the existence of the corpus luteum and the development of the embryo. Taking a blood test for hCG is a good way to urgently dispel or confirm doubts and find out for sure whether there is a pregnancy or not.
The concentration of hCG in the blood increases exponentially and on the first day of a delayed menstrual cycle reaches 25 mIU/ml. During pregnancy, the concentration of hCG increases until the 12th week, peaks between 8-10 weeks, remains at approximately the same level until the 23rd week, then begins to decrease. In multiple pregnancies, hCG levels are higher. Each week has its own norm. Therefore, obstetricians use tests for hCG at various stages of gestation to diagnose abnormalities in the course and disorders of fetal development. For example, an hCG test at 11-13 and 16-18 weeks of pregnancy is a screening test aimed at identifying congenital intrauterine malformations, as well as genetic diseases (for example, Down or Edwards syndrome) in the unborn child.
Blood test result for hCG
1. An increase in hCG in men and women occurs when:
- Trophoblastic diseases (hydatidiform mole, trophoblastic tumors, choriocarcinoma);
- Some tumors of the embryonic germ (testicular teratoma, seminoma);
- Multiple pregnancy;
- Tumors of the stomach, pancreas, lungs, colon, liver.
2. A reduced level of hCG in pregnant women in the test results occurs when:
- Ectopic pregnancy;
- Damage to the placenta;
- Threatening miscarriage.
Blood results for hCG in early pregnancy
| weeks | average numbers | hCG level value |
| 1-2 | 150 | 50-300 |
| 3-4 | 2000 | 1500-5000 |
| 4-5 | 20000 | 10000-30000 |
| 5-6 | 50000 | 20000-100000 |
| 6-7 | 100000 | 50000-200000 |
HCG ANALYSIS RESULT.
DECODING IF A WOMAN IS NOT PREGNANT OR PREGNANT
| Category | Norm, mIU/ml |
| Men | < 5,0 |
| Non-pregnant women | < 5,0 |
| Short periods of conception | 10,0-50,0 |
| Pregnancy 4 weeks | 40-6000 |
| Pregnancy 5 weeks | 1000-20700 |
| Pregnancy 6 weeks | 2200-74200 |
| Pregnancy 7 weeks | 6000-130000 |
| Pregnancy 8 weeks | 12900-190000 |
| Pregnancy 9 weeks | 18500-205000 |
| Pregnancy 10 weeks | 18000-290000 |
| Pregnancy 11 weeks | 16500-180000 |
| Pregnancy 12 weeks | 14500-125000 |
| Pregnancy 13 weeks | 12500-95000 |
| Pregnancy 14 weeks | 10500-80000 |
| Pregnancy 15 weeks | 9000-70000 |
| Pregnancy 16 weeks | 7000-64000 |
| Pregnancy 17 weeks | 5500-56000 |
| Pregnancy 18 weeks | 4500-50000 |
| Pregnancy 19 weeks | 3300-40000 |
| Pregnancy 20 weeks | 2500-32000 |
| Pregnancy 21-26 weeks. | 1800-25000 |
| Pregnancy 26-43 weeks. | 1800-59000 |
The table shows obstetric weeks, counting from the first day of the last menstruation.
How to donate blood for hCG
1. If a blood test for hCG is prescribed by a gynecologist to diagnose the early stages of conception, it can be taken starting from the 10th day after conception. However, at this time the concentration of the hormone in the blood may be insignificant and the result may be false negative or doubtful. Therefore, it is still best to take hCG for pregnancy after one or two days of missed menstruation.
2. In some cases (when taking hCG before a missed period, to exclude a frozen or ectopic pregnancy), the doctor prescribes a triple pregnancy test, that is, blood for hCG in this case must be tested three times with an interval of 2-3 days. A correct increase in hormone concentration will mean that the fertilized egg is developing normally. Lack of normal growth means there is a problem with the fertilized egg.
3. If the test is performed to confirm the success of an ectopic or abortion operation, blood for hCG analysis is taken 1-2 days after the procedure. If it is taken for other indications (for example, to identify certain tumors or monitor the progress of pregnancy), hCG can be taken on any day.
HCG AFTER ABORTION.
If you decide to have a medical termination of pregnancy, then you should take a blood test for hCG to confirm the positive outcome of the procedure (along with a pelvic ultrasound). Normally, over the course of 2 to 4 weeks, the level of this hormone will progressively decrease, gradually reaching normal values characteristic of a non-pregnant woman. If its levels in a patient who has had an abortion continue to remain elevated after a certain period of time, this requires appropriate examination by a gynecologist. That is why, within a month after any method of termination of pregnancy (surgical or pharmacological), it is extremely important to take several blood tests to make sure that the abortion was successful and there are no complications.
PREPARATION
Blood for hCG analysis is taken on an empty stomach - that is, after a 6-8-hour overnight fast. If you have to donate it during the day, you must refrain from eating for 3-4 hours before collection.
MAIN INDICATIONS FOR THE STUDY:
- Delay or complete absence of menstruation;
- Early diagnosis of the fact and duration of pregnancy;
- Dynamic monitoring of pregnancy;
- HCG should be taken if there is a suspicion of a threat of interruption and non-development;
- Monitoring of reproductive organs after abortion, miscarriage;
- Diagnostics, control of treatment of certain diseases (chorionepithelioma, hydatidiform mole).
URGENT HCG ANALYSIS
Are you eager to find out about the reasons for the absence of menstruation and want to do a quick blood test for hCG? In Moscow, you can urgently get tested for hCG in the laboratory of our medical center. If you want to get the result as quickly as possible, you should come to the treatment room for a blood draw from 10-00 to 13-00. In this case, the diagnostic result can be found out on the same day in the evening by phone or by email.
The time for taking an hCG test is not limited only to the morning hours, it is taken throughout the working day. But if blood from a vein is taken for testing after 2 p.m., you will only be able to find out about the test results the next business day, even by phone or by mail.
Does the hCG test not seem fast enough for you? Do you want to know the result as quickly as possible?
The shortest way to find out about the possible conception of a child is to do a pregnancy ultrasound. The conclusion can be obtained immediately in the office of an ultrasound specialist. It is better to go for this diagnosis starting from the 3-5th day of the delay, and choosing a transvaginal method will allow you to conduct the study as accurately as possible.
Cost of services
Every person has had to donate blood at least once in their life. Of course, this is not a very pleasant procedure, but in some cases it cannot be avoided. A blood test is performed before any surgical intervention, after a long and serious illness, and upon discharge from a medical institution. Immediately after birth, babies undergo a blood test for existing congenital pathologies. All pregnant women also donate blood repeatedly during pregnancy. There are many types of research:
- general analysis;
- biochemical research;
- determination of rhesus and group;
- blood test for hCG and other hormones;
- testing the material for coagulability.
Why donate blood?
In most cases, the test required for the study is prescribed by the doctor. You need to take it in order to assess the state of health and the human body as a whole. The material can be collected from a finger or a vein, depending on what needs to be examined. In infants, after birth, blood is taken from the heel. It is also possible to collect material from veins in the head, arm, foot or hand.
What is hCG?
Human chorionic gonadotropin is a substance found in the body of a pregnant woman. In the absence of pregnancy, a representative of the fair sex may have a low level of hCG in the blood. This is a normal option and does not require any treatment or medical intervention. The exception is a significant increase in hormone levels.
At the moment when fertilization occurs, the level of hCG in the blood begins to increase. The maximum amount of this hormone reaches the twelfth week of gestation. After this, it begins to gradually decrease and reaches the lower limit by the time of birth. You can see the growth rates of human chorionic gonadotropin in the table below. It can be used to track how the hormone increases and decreases in its value.
Chorionic gonadotropin received its name due to the fact that the chorion is responsible for its production, which acts on the produced female sex hormones in a special way. He completely adjusts them to his needs, creating favorable conditions for the development of the embryo.
How does HCG work?
Most often, the material is collected by a nurse or laboratory assistant. The woman is put on a tightening tourniquet on the forearm area, after which she is asked to “pump up” the vein a little by squeezing and unclenching her hand. When the doctor sees that the vein is sufficiently inflated, he draws blood.
A thin needle is inserted into the vein, to which a special apparatus with a pump mechanism is attached. Thanks to it, the test tube is quickly filled with red liquid and the needle is removed from the vein. Blood can also be collected using a regular syringe, but this method has recently become less and less used in medical institutions.
It is necessary to observe all sanitary standards and caution when taking material. Before piercing the skin with a needle, wipe its surface with cotton wool soaked in alcohol. This will help prevent pathogens and various bacteria from entering the vein.
Preparing for analysis
Before donating blood for hCG, do not eat or smoke. This condition must be met to obtain the correct result. It is also not recommended to be nervous and drink coffee. The night before collecting the material, you need to get a good night's sleep and be in a good mood. In this case, you will get the most accurate result.
Blood is taken mainly in the morning. It is at this time of day that the level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood is at its maximum. Before entering the treatment room, sit in front of it for a few minutes, catch your breath, calm down, tune in to a positive mood, and only after that go in to donate blood.
Indications for the study
Since blood is usually donated for hCG on the direction of a doctor, there are some indications for such a study:
- suspected ectopic pregnancy;
- the possibility of developing malignant tumors;
- early detection of pregnancy;
- suspicion of undeveloped pregnancy or anembryonia.
Getting the result
Typically, the analysis takes no more than two days to prepare. The result of a blood test for hCG can be deciphered by a doctor, but usually laboratory standards are always indicated on the result sheet. This is done for the convenience of the patient. A woman can independently determine which parameters her result fits into.
Analysis result | Laboratory standards (mU/ml) |
Men of any age | |
Women of any age | |
Pregnancy | |
First week from conception | From 16 to 165 |
Second week from conception | From 101 to 4870 |
Third week from conception | From 1110 to 31500 |
Fourth week from conception | From 2560 to 82300 |
Fifth week from conception | From 23100 to 151000 |
Sixth week from conception | From 27300 to 233000 |
From the seventh to the tenth week | From 20900 to 291000 |
Eleventh to fifteenth week | From 6140 to 103000 |
Sixteenth to twentieth week | From 4720 to 801000 |
From the twenty-first week to the moment of birth | From 2700 to 78100 |
Human chorionic gonadotropin is higher than normal
If the blood tested for hCG results are higher than normal, this indicates pregnancy. In the first days of embryo development, the hormone level doubles every other day. This happens on average until the twelfth week.
If the analysis showed a very high result, then this may indicate a multiple pregnancy. In this case, the level of hCG increases in proportion to the number of embryos in the uterus.
Also, a strong increase in human chorionic gonadotropin during pregnancy can indicate pathologies such as diabetes mellitus in the mother, late toxicosis, and various malformations of the baby’s organs.
After the twelfth week, a blood test is performed to determine the amount of human chorionic gonadotropin. This is necessary in order to identify possible fetal malformations.
Chorionic gonadotropin is below normal
If the blood donation for hCG was carried out according to all the rules, but the result is significantly underestimated, then the following pathologies may occur:
If you receive a result that indicates a low hCG level, then most likely you will be prescribed a repeat test, as well as a number of additional studies.
Choosing a clinic and price of analysis
There are now quite a few private laboratories that offer various types of research. If you are wondering where to donate blood for hCG, then first conduct a price analysis. The cost of the service can vary from three hundred rubles to one thousand. The timing of the study may also differ. Some clinics promise results within a few hours. Other laboratories provide it only after a few working days. Of course, the speed of work of some laboratories is pleasing, but the cost of such analysis is probably somewhat too high. And this is quite fair.
You can also conduct the study at a government medical institution. To do this, you will need to get a blood test for hCG from your doctor. In this case, the price for you will be minimal, or the analysis will be completely free. However, be prepared for the fact that you will have to wait from several days to one week for results. Sometimes it’s easier for a woman to pay than to suffer while waiting for the test result.
Conclusion
Now you know how to donate blood for hCG. If analysis is necessary, pay attention to the choice of laboratory and proper preparation for collecting material. If the result is unsatisfactory, retake the test. Don't worry, this may have an adverse effect on your pregnancy. There are times when laboratories make mistakes. If the repeated result turned out to be not as expected, then you should consult a doctor for advice and possible correction.
Keep your well-being under control and be healthy! Get tested on time and follow all the recommendations of a specialist you trust.
Today, a blood test for hCG is increasingly being performed, as it helps to establish the fact of pregnancy, monitor its development, and also diagnose certain tumors. This hormone is then produced by the chorion, but it can also be produced by neoplasms.
The pregnancy test actively used today specifically detects hCG in the urine. But a blood test is more accurate and confirms it a few days earlier. In addition, the level of the hormone should have certain values at different weeks of pregnancy. If it does not correspond to the norm, then various pathologies can be suspected.
Also, when carrying several fetuses, the concentration of hCG increases. If the embryo does not develop in the uterus, less of the hormone is usually produced. This happens with tubal pregnancy.
- detection and control of treatment and ovaries;
- diagnosis of fetal and pregnancy pathologies;
- exclusion of the embryo being outside the uterus;
- checking the completeness of the abortion;
- confirmation of pregnancy.
The test must be taken in the morning, on an empty stomach. The doctor should be informed about the medications you are taking. To establish the fact of pregnancy, it is advisable to take a hCG test no earlier than four days after the delay. In different women, the hormone begins to be synthesized at different times after implantation; in some it can be detected within a day.
A blood test for hCG is included in this test. This test helps identify women at risk of having a child with chromosomal abnormalities. However, it should be understood that the high probability obtained during screening is not a death sentence, but only an indication for an in-depth examination.
So, hCG is elevated in the following cases:
- taking gestagens;
- malformations and pathologies of the fetus;
- incorrectly defined period;
- diabetes mellitus in a woman;
- multiple births;
- toxicosis;
- after an abortion;
- chorionic carcinoma;
- taking hCG;
- neoplasms of the kidneys, uterus, lungs;
- hydatidiform mole;
- tumor of the intestines or testicles.
A low concentration of the hormone occurs when:
- delay in the baby's development;
- fetal death;
- threat of miscarriage;
- placental insufficiency;
- non-developing or ectopic pregnancy.
So, a blood test for hCG norms in honey/ml:
- 1-2 weeks - 28-303;
- 2-3 weeks - 1503-5003;
- 3-4 weeks - 10003-30003;
- 4-5 weeks - 20003-100003;
- 5-6 weeks - 50003-200003;
- 6-7 weeks - 50003-200003;
- 7-8 weeks - 20003-200003;
- 8-9 weeks - 20003-100003;
- 9-10 weeks - 20003-95003;
- 11-12 weeks - 20003-90003;
- 13-14 weeks - 15003-60003;
- 15-25 weeks - 10003-35003;
- 26-37 weeks - 10003-60003;
- women who are not bearing a child, and men - up to 8.
The hormone affects the development of the fetus and is needed to maintain pregnancy. Its level doubles every two days during its normal course in the first weeks. During this period, determining the amount of hCG makes it possible to judge the health of the fetus and the course of pregnancy. It is he who ensures the production of necessary hormones in the 1st trimester. In particular, hCG prolongs the functioning of the body that synthesizes progesterone.
The weeks are counted from the day of the last menstrual period. Concentrations peak at approximately 15 weeks and then decline. After childbirth, the hormone is not detected in the blood.
During prenatal screening, hCG and PAPP are taken in the 1st trimester, and ACE, hCG and estriol in the 2nd trimester. When determining the risk of having a baby with chromosomal pathologies, other data are also taken into account. These include the woman’s age, smoking, ultrasound data, medications taken and much more.
So, a blood test for hCG is performed to identify its pathologies, fetal malformations, as well as some types of cancer. Any deviation from the norm may be a symptom of a serious pathology and requires consultation with a qualified specialist. Only he will be able to correctly decipher the test result, prescribe additional examination and effective treatment.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone that produces chorionic tissue. Its function is to create the most favorable conditions in the body for pregnancy. It stimulates the production of estrogen and progesterone, calms the nervous system and suppresses the immune system, so that fetal rejection does not occur.
The production of hCG begins after the fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus. That is, approximately 6-8 days after fertilization of the egg. From this point on, the concentration of the hormone in the blood continues to increase, reaching its maximum at 7-11 weeks. After this, the production of hCG gradually decreases. An increase in hCG is one of the most important signs of pregnancy.
It is important to say that most women do not want to go to a medical facility every month and get tested. In this case, they are interested in: “How to find out the hCG level at home?”
It is impossible to independently calculate the exact amount of this hormone in the body. However, if desired, you can conduct a hCG test or, as it is also called, a pregnancy test. Thanks to it, you can understand whether there is an increase in hCG in the urine.
Peculiarities
A pregnancy test is a strip of carrier material impregnated in a certain area with a special reagent, which, when it comes into contact with hCG, releases a dye. Thus, if a lot of human chorionic gonadotropin is concentrated in the urine, two blue or purple stripes will appear on the test.
This is what a positive pregnancy test looks like. It is worth noting that one line is always visible after the test, even if the woman is not in an “interesting position.” This is explained by the fact that it contains a substance that is released after contact with liquid.
As for the second line, it can be barely noticeable, medium in saturation or very bright. This depends on the degree of sensitivity of the test, as well as on the amount of hCG present in the body.
Most modern tests respond to an increase in hCG to 20-25 mIU/ml. However, there are now highly sensitive tests available. They can record hCG when it rises to 10 mU/ml. Although it is worth noting that this is difficult to prove. Many pharmacists claim that this is more likely a publicity stunt than the truth.
An advertisement can also be considered an inscription stating that an hCG test at home will help determine the presence of pregnancy before a missed period with 99% accuracy. Only a blood test for hCG can give such accurate results.
Kinds
The pharmacy has a huge number of different tests for hCG. They have different prices, but without exception they all promise accurate results.
Strip test
This is the most popular type of test. It looks like a strip of thick paper on which reagents are applied. The essence of the test is that a woman must drain a little urine into a sterile container, dip the strip test tip into it until it reaches the mark on it, and then wait 5 seconds.
After this, the test is removed and placed on a flat surface. You can evaluate the result in 1-10 minutes. This time depends on the amount of chorionic hormone in the biological fluid. The lower its level, the later the second stripe will appear. This procedure can be carried out from the first day of a missed period.
The main advantages of the test include its low cost. However, the strip test is not entirely convenient to use and may show unreliable results.
Digital
It belongs to the most modern types of tests.
In order to understand whether the amount of hCG in the body is increasing, it is necessary to lower such a test into the urine, with the tip down to the filter. After 3 minutes, the woman can evaluate the result.
A “+” sign or the word “pregnancy” will appear in a special test window. You can do an hCG test at home 4 days before your missed period. These are the most highly sensitive tests, so they extremely rarely give a false result.
The disadvantages of electronic tests include their high price. In addition, the result is visible only within a day, after which it disappears on its own. Thus, if a woman wants to keep evidence of her pregnancy as a keepsake, she will not be able to do so.
Jet
Based on the name of this test, you can guess that it needs to be placed under a stream of urine (for about 10 seconds). This is very convenient, since a woman does not need to specially allocate a container for collecting biological fluid. Thus, the procedure can be performed unnoticed by others.
The finished result will be visible in a special window. It can be assessed in 1-10 minutes. One or two stripes will appear in it. This is one of the best hCG tests. With its help, you can find out about pregnancy 5 days before the delay. The disadvantages of inkjet tests include their high price.
Cassette
This test comes in a box and has two windows. The principle of operation is similar to a regular strip test. The set includes a container for collecting biological fluid and a pipette. After the urine has been collected, you need to drop 4 drops into one window. After 1-10 minutes, the remaining window will display the result, which will be presented in the form of one or two stripes.
It is recommended to carry out such a test starting from the first day of the delay. Before the delay, it is impossible to detect an increase in hCG in this way. The main advantages of cassette tests include easy readability of the results and low cost. The disadvantages of the test are that many different actions are required to carry it out.
Reservoir
This type of hCG test is extremely rare. The test looks like a measuring cup with a test strip built into it (on the side). In this case, the test strip itself absorbs the required volume of biological fluid. The finished result can be assessed in 5, maximum 10 minutes.
Deadlines
As a rule, the instructions do not indicate the desired time for the hCG test. This means that the procedure can be carried out at any convenient time of the day. If human chorionic gonadotropin is elevated, this will definitely give results.
At the same time, some gynecologists recommend doing the test in the morning, using night urine for this purpose. They claim that this increases the chance of obtaining reliable results. This is especially important if the procedure is performed in the early stages of pregnancy. If you conduct the test in the afternoon or evening, the concentration of hCG in the urine will be much lower, resulting in an increased likelihood of obtaining a false negative result.
Before determining the hCG level at home, a woman must refrain from urinating for at least 4 hours.
results
During the hCG test, there is a possibility of obtaining false results. As practice shows, this happens in approximately 5% of cases.
Typically a false positive result occurs if a woman:
- uses medications that contain hCG (they are traditionally used to stimulate ovulation);
- suffers from trophoblastic pathologies;
- has neoplasms that produce hCG;
- recently suffered an abortion, spontaneous termination of pregnancy.
As for a false negative result, it can occur in the following cases:
- the woman took a pregnancy test too early or used a test with low sensitivity for diagnosis;
- a woman suffers from kidney or heart pathologies;
- the pregnancy is abnormal (for example, there is fetal growth retardation);
- drinking too much liquid, alcohol, or diuretics the night before the test;
- The pregnancy test was stored incorrectly or was past its expiration date.
In addition, test results may be distorted if:
- too little or too much urine was used for analysis;
- the woman evaluated the test earlier than 1 minute, or later than 10 minutes after removing it from the urine;
- the test after contact with biological fluid was placed on an uneven surface.
In addition, it often happens that a woman tested for hCG at home, and it gave her a positive result, but after some time, menstruation still begins. In this case, there was probably a spontaneous abortion at an early stage.
This happens if the fetus has serious genetic disorders. Approximately 30% of all pregnancies are terminated this way. Usually women do not even notice that they have had a miscarriage and only those who carefully plan their pregnancy can detect this phenomenon.
Sometimes it happens that a woman gets two clear lines on the test, however, after conducting tests in subsequent days, the second line becomes lighter and blurrier, and eventually disappears altogether. However, menstruation still does not begin. In this case, we can talk about a frozen pregnancy.
As for ectopic pregnancy, it is very difficult to determine during a routine test. In this case, the woman will also produce human chorionic gonadotropin, but in much smaller quantities than during normal pregnancy.
For this reason, the test will show an increase in hCG quite late. Also, the second line on the test will be too pale. In this case, you can use the new Inexscreen test. It detects not only the presence of chorionic hormone, but also its two constituent isoforms. It has a fairly high price, but it gives accurate results. The Inexscreen test is recommended to be performed between the first and second week of a missed period.
The test itself should be carried out as follows:
- collect fresh urine;
- add 4 drops of liquid into a special well;
- wait 5 minutes and check the result.
As practice shows, Inexscreen can detect an ectopic pregnancy in 90% of cases, which is quite good.
If a woman receives a controversial or clear positive test result, she should consult a doctor as soon as possible.
This is necessary in order to definitively confirm pregnancy. The patient is also completely examined. If she is sick with anything, she will be treated. If necessary, various remedies will be prescribed and useful recommendations will be given. From this moment on, the woman will have to regularly check the level of hCG in the body, but with the help of a laboratory blood test. This way, doctors will be able to judge how well the pregnancy is progressing.
If a woman has done several tests and has not received a single positive result, but she still has all the symptoms of an “interesting situation,” then she is also recommended to seek medical help. In this case, we may be talking about a “false pregnancy.” With this pathology, a non-pregnant woman feels pregnant. This disease requires treatment.
