How reliable are Pregnancy Tests

Home pregnancy test is the very first test a woman who suspect pregnancy takes. The accuracy and reliability of home pregnancy test have always been in discussion. Doctors usually advise to opt for a blood test to confirm pregnancy after you have taken home pregnancy test. The home pregnancy test examines the presence and density of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in the body to confirm pregnancy. If hCG is present in your body, you have conceived otherwise you have not. The reliability of pregnancy test largely depends on the displayed result.

If you've been tested positive for pregnancy then it is more reliable than a negative result. This is because home pregnancy test detects pregnancy, even if your body doesn't have the considerable amount of HCG. It is advisable that you consult a gynaecologist/obstetrician immediately to confirm your pregnancy and start taking necessary preventive measures and medical help.

Negative result in Home pregnancy test If you are suspecting pregnancy and the pregnancy test has shown a negative result then it becomes less reliable than positive result. This is because, at times, the level of HCG in your urine isn't high enough to give the accurate result. This usually occurs in those cases when a woman has taken home pregnancy too early. A woman should wait for two to seven days after her missed cycle to take a pregnancy test.

As your pregnancy test can detect positive result even if your urine doesn't have accurate level of HCG, it can pronounce a negative result in the same condition. Therefore, you should thoroughly read the label of the test kit to determine the sensitivity of your pregnancy test. In case you doubt the results of your pregnancy test, consult your obstetrician at the earliest and go for a blood test, which is more accurate than home pregnancy test.

Home pregnancy test is considered 97 per cent accurate when conducted as per the instructions given on the kit; however, the blood test for pregnancy confirmation remains the most accurate test. The blood test is generally called beta hCG test (also called quantitative blood test). It accurately evaluates the levels of HCG in blood. This indicates that blood test can detect even the minimal levels of HCG. Another blood test called qualitative hCG test has a simple system that detects pregnancy by giving a yes if you have conceived and no you have not conceived.