How to use a pregnancy test

A few decades ago, women learned about pregnancy much later, when the delay in menstruation was obvious and was accompanied by other signs of the birth of a new life. Today it is much easier for women to find out about their situation, pregnancy can be determined even before the delay of menstrual bleeding. And a pregnancy test helps us with this. In modern pharmacies, many different tests are presented, ranging from the simplest and cheapest strips to expensive instruments that not only determine the presence of pregnancy, but also indicate its duration. In this article we will talk about what a pregnancy test is, how it works, how to use it correctly and whether it can be wrong.

How does a pregnancy test work?

A pregnancy test is a small strip saturated with a special reagent, which appears if there is a pregnancy hormone in the urine. This hormone is human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), it can appear only during pregnancy. For testing, two bands are presented on the test - one appears always regardless of your position, and the second only if there is hCG in the urine. If even the test strip did not appear, the test can be considered damaged, it may have been stored incorrectly or it has expired. But if two strips, then you are pregnant. To ensure the result is as accurate as possible, the test should be carried out according to all the rules.

How to use a pregnancy test

There are several types of tests on sale - strip, cassette, inkjet and electronic test. Let's consider step by step how to use each of them.

1. Test strip. This is the easiest and cheapest way to determine pregnancy, however, for an accurate result, the test must be carried out correctly. To do this, it is better to collect the morning portion of urine - the maximum amount of hCG is concentrated in it. Urine to check must be fresh. That is, it is impossible to collect morning urine, but to test in a few hours. Collect urine in a clean, sterile container. After that, you need to take a test and open the package. If the packaging is damaged, the test may give a false result, since the reagent usually evaporates. Open the package and lower the test strip into the container to the indicated boundary. If you lower the bar below this border, you can get a false positive result. Keep the strip for 5-10 seconds. Follow the instructions on the packaging of the dough itself. After that, put the test on a vertical surface and wait a few minutes. After a while, one or two strips will appear. It is impossible to “pass” the test for too long - the strip developed after 10-15 minutes is usually false positive.
2. Test cassette or tablet model. In fact, this is the same strip, which in this case is packed in a plastic shell. Morning urine should be collected in a sterile container, take a pipette and use it to drip a few drops of urine into a special test window. After some time, you need to look into another window with the result. The tablet model of the test can be considered more reliable, since the risk of erroneous use of the test is considered minimal.
3. Inkjet test. An inkjet test is called due to the particular use - the test is substituted by a stream of urine. This is convenient enough, because you do not need to look for a special container, clean and sterilize it.In addition, the use of the test is more hygienic - you do not have to wash the containers or pipettes from the urine. Another advantage of the jet test - it is quite sensitive, but it is quite expensive. Before using the jet test, you need to open it, bring the tank under a stream of urine. If it’s easier for you, you can collect urine in a container and lower the jet test directly into a jar. During the test, the device should be held vertically with the tank down. After that, you need to put the test aside for a while until you get the result.
4. Electronic test. In fact, this is the same inkjet test, equipped with more features. Until the result is ready, the hourglass will be displayed on a tiny board - you need to wait. After a while, the result will appear on the scoreboard. If you are pregnant, the test will fairly accurately determine the gestational age by the amount and concentration of hCG in the urine.

Each test has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Strips are considered the cheapest tests, they can be used often. Electronic and inkjet tests are more sensitive, they are rarely mistaken, but their cost is quite high. In addition, the electronic test immediately writes whether you are pregnant or not, it is much closer to understanding than the number of strips of strips. Pay attention to the sensitivity of the test - the higher this indicator, the earlier you can find out about your situation, even if the level of hCG in the body is still not high enough. Therefore, sensitive tests can begin to be used even before the delay, but not earlier than 7-10 days after the alleged conception. But what if the test result is not clear to you?

What does the weak second strip mean?

Sometimes it happens that the second strip is barely noticeable, what can it talk about? Most often, this indicates pregnancy, but in its early stages. In this case, there is hCG in the urine, but its amount is still so small that the second strip is only slightly visible. Repeat the test several times with an interval of 24 hours. If you are pregnant, the hCG level increases, respectively, and the strip will be brighter and more noticeable. If over time the strip does not become brighter, but remains at the same level or is completely gone, it is necessary to do an ultrasound. Sometimes, such results may indicate an ectopic or missed pregnancy when the level of hCG drops or remains at the same level. If so, you will need the intervention of doctors.

Can the test be wrong

This question is asked by all women who find unexpected results on the test. A test can be false positive when it shows that there is a pregnancy, but it really is not. Also, the test can be false negative when only one strip flaunts on it, and there is still pregnancy. With what it can be connected? Firstly, the quality of the test itself. This may be a defective batch, low-quality brand, non-compliance with storage standards. To verify the results, you need to buy several tests from different manufacturers and check them at the same time. Secondly, the result may be false positive if a woman takes any drugs containing the hCG hormone. Thirdly, the test can show false two strips, if there was an abortion or miscarriage recently - the body simply did not have time to rebuild. And finally, some tumors of the internal organs can also trigger the production of the hCG hormone.

After you have confirmed the presence of pregnancy, in a few weeks you should definitely go for an ultrasound and check the place of attachment of the ovum (if the pregnancy is desired). It is important to exclude an ectopic pregnancy, which can lead to irreversible consequences. Next you need to start this long, hard, but such a happy path to meeting your baby with a good mood. Start taking folic acid, if you have not already done so, it will protect against various pathologies of the neural tube of the fetus. Eat right, eat fruits and vegetables, have good music, get only positive emotions, surround yourself with the love and care of loved ones. And then terrible toxicosis does not dare to violate this serene and such a happy period in the life of every woman.

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