Healthbeautyidea.com – For most married couples, pregnancy is indeed the most eagerly awaited part.
Unfortunately, in the first week of pregnancy, the woman often does not feel it. Therefore, one way to find out if you are pregnant is to do an examination with the help of a pregnancy test kit.
In order to show accurate results, you should not carelessly use a pregnancy test kit.
By knowing how it works, types, level of accuracy and results, you can avoid false positives or false negatives.
What is a pregnancy test?
A pregnancy test is an examination to find out if you are pregnant, which is done by looking at the amount of hormones human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the body.
Apart from being needed for those of you who are looking forward to pregnancy and want to know positive results, a pregnancy test kit is also needed for those who have problems with contraception.
When should a pregnancy test be done?
Pregnancy tests should be done when you are late for your period on the first day, considering the function of the pregnancy test kit which can detect hCG before your menstrual period passes.
If you don’t know exactly when the first day of menstruation is, you can do an examination 21 days after having se**xual inter**course.
Types of pregnancy test kits based on how they are taken
The hCG hormone is released by the fertilized egg and attaches to the uterine wall. This hormone is formed about 6 days after fertilization.
Then hCG levels will rise rapidly, doubling every 2 to 3 days, reaching a peak around 10 weeks of gestation and beginning to decline by 16 weeks.
Pregnancy test kits work by measuring the amount of the hCG hormone by examining urine or taking a blood sample.
1. Test with a blood sample
Rarely used, taking a pregnancy test with a blood sample is generally done with a doctor at a health service.
Tests with blood samples can detect pregnancy earlier than home pregnancy tests, around 6-8 days after ovulation.
However, getting the results takes longer than a urine test.
Tests with blood samples are divided into two types, namely quantitative hCG tests and qualitative hCG tests.
- Quantitative hCG test. This test measures the amount of hCG in the blood. The advantage of this test is its ability to track problems during pregnancy as it can detect even very low levels of hCG.
- Qualitative hCG test. Unlike a quantitative hCG test, which can measure the number and track other pregnancy problems, a qualitative hCG test only checks for the presence or absence of hCG.
Qualitative hCG results give pregnancy answers such as “yes, pregnant” or “not pregnant”. This test is usually to confirm early pregnancy, 10 days after conception.
2. Test with urine
Tests with urine are done using a tool called a test pack. This tool works by detecting the hCG hormone in the urine.
Taking a urine test can be done at a health care facility or at home, offering an accuracy rate of 97-99%.
What is a test pack?
A test pack is a test kit for checking pregnancy with urine. Test packs are divided into three types, namely as follows:
- Cassette test packs. It has the form of a stick which is used by dripping urine on a cassette test pack.
- Test strip packs. It has a strip shape made of plastic with a very small size and light weight. The way to use it is to dip the test pack strip into the urine that has been collected.
- Digital test packs. It has the shape of a stick with a digital test pack tip that has a strip that functions to absorb urine. The digital test pack can be used repeatedly by changing the strips in it.
If you are interested in using a test pack, you can buy this pregnancy test kit at drugstores, pharmacies and supermarkets.
However, in order for the results to remain accurate, there are a number of things you need to pay attention to when you want to buy and use a test pack.
Factors that affect the accuracy of the test pack
The level of accuracy of pregnancy test kits certainly varies, some have a high level of sensitivity, but some are just mediocre.
The level of accuracy of pregnancy test kits is influenced by various factors such as:
1. The expiration date of the pregnancy test kit
Make sure the test pack you are using is not expired.
2. The accuracy of using the test kit according to the instructions
Use the test kit according to the instructions and instructions listed.
3. Time to take the test
HCG levels are most concentrated and easily detectable in the first morning urine. If you don’t take the test in the morning, then make sure the urine is in the bladder for at least four hours.
4. The accuracy of reading the test pack results
After taking the test, you can wait a few moments, according to the instructions from the pregnancy test kit you are using.
Avoid reading the test pack results too quickly or too long which can cause false positive results.
5. Examination accuracy
Even though you are pregnant, if you take the test too soon, the results may show “negative”.
It’s best to wait until you’ve missed the first day of your period so you can avoid false negative results.
Read pregnancy results with a test pack
After carrying out an examination with a test pack, you will see the results of the pregnancy test kit that you are using.
According to the respective tools, here’s how to read the results in the form of vertical lines, symbols, even words.
- Line. Line 1 that appears on the test pack is negative, which means you are not pregnant. Meanwhile, if 2 lines appear on the test pack, this is positive, which means you are pregnant.
- Symbol. Some pregnancy test kits will give results in the form of symbols (+) or (-). The symbol (+) has a positive meaning indicating there is a pregnancy. While the symbol (-) has a negative meaning which indicates there is no pregnancy.
- Say. If you use a digital test pack, the results will appear in the form of words like “pregnant” “yes” or “you’re pregnant” which indicates there is a pregnancy while “not pregnant” or “no” indicates no pregnancy.
When the pregnancy test kit shows positive results, you should immediately contact your doctor for further examination.
You may be advised to maintain a healthy lifestyle free of alco**hol and cigarettes, limit the amount of caffeine, or even take prenatal vitamins that are rich in folic acid.
Be careful with false positives or false negatives.
If the results show negative, but you don’t have your period, you can do a re-examination 3 days after the first test or consult a doctor.
Because you will be consulting a doctor, make sure you save and bring the test results, whether positive or negative.
