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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 emergence of a new life. Today, women are much easier to learn about their situation, pregnancy can be determined before the delay of menstrual bleeding. And this helps us to test for pregnancy. In modern pharmacies presented a variety of different tests, ranging from the most simple and cheap strips, ending with expensive devices 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
A pregnancy test is a small strip impregnated with a special reagent that occurs when there is a pregnancy hormone in the composition of the urine. This hormone is human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), it can appear only during pregnancy. There are two lanes to check on the test - one always appears regardless of your position, and the second only if there is hCG in the urine. If even the test strip did not show up, the test can be considered spoiled, perhaps it was stored incorrectly or its expiration date has expired. But if the strips are two, then you are pregnant. To make the result as accurate as possible, the test should be carried out according to all the rules.
How to use a pregnancy test
On sale there are several types of tests - strip, cassette, inkjet and electronic test. We will consider in stages how to use each of them.
- Test strip This is the easiest and cheapest way to determine pregnancy, but for an accurate result, the test must be carried out correctly. To do this, it is better to collect the morning portion of urine - it concentrates the maximum amount of hCG.Urine to check should be fresh. That is, it is impossible to collect the morning urine, but to conduct a 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 marked border. If you omit the strip below this limit, you can get a false positive result. Hold the strip should be 5-10 seconds. Follow the instructions on the packaging of the test itself. After that, place the test on a vertical surface and wait a few minutes. After a while one or two strips will appear. For too long, it is impossible to “withstand” a test — a strip that appears after 10–15 minutes is usually false-positive.
- Test cassette or tablet model. In fact, this is the same strip, which in this case is packaged in a plastic sheath. Morning urine should be collected in a sterile container, take a pipette and use it to drop a few drops of urine in a special window of the test. After some time, you need to look in another window with the result.Tablet model of the test can be considered more reliable, since the risk of erroneous use of the test is considered to be minimal.
- Inkjet test Inkjet test is called due to the peculiarities of use - the test is substituted by a stream of urine. This is quite convenient, since you do not need to look for a special container, clean and sterilize it. In addition, the use of dough is more hygienic - you do not have to wash your urine or pipettes. Another advantage of the jet test is that it is sensitive enough, but it is quite expensive. Before using the inkjet test it is necessary to open it, bring the tank under a stream of urine. If you find it easier, you can collect urine in a container and drop the jet test directly into the 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 the result is obtained.
- Electronic test. In fact, this is the same inkjet test, equipped with more features. While the result is not ready, an hourglass will be displayed on a tiny scoreboard - you need to wait. After some time, the result will appear on the scoreboard.If you are pregnant, the test will fairly accurately determine the duration of pregnancy 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, 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 will be able to learn about your situation, even if the level of hCG in the body is not high enough. Therefore, sensitive tests can be started to use even before the delay, but not earlier than 7-10 days after the intended conception. But what to do if the test result is incomprehensible to you?
What does a weak second bar 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 composition of urine, but its amount is still so small that the second strip is only slightly noticeable. Repeat the test several times at intervals of 24 hours.If you are pregnant, the level of hCG increases, respectively, and the bar will be brighter and more noticeable. If over time the strip does not become brighter, but remains at the same level or disappears altogether, an ultrasound scan should be done. Sometimes these results may indicate ectopic or missed abortion when the level of hCG falls or stays the same. 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. The test can be false-positive when it shows that there is a pregnancy, but in fact it is not. Also, a test can be false-negative when there is only one strip on it, and there is still a pregnancy. With what it can be connected? First, the quality of the test itself. This may be a defective lot, poor quality mark, inconsistency of storage standards. To make sure of 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 the woman takes any drugs containing the hormone hCG.Thirdly, the test can show false two strips, if recently there was an abortion or miscarriage - the body simply did not have time to restructure. Finally, some tumors of the internal organs can also provoke the production of the hormone hCG.
After you have confirmed the presence of pregnancy, in a few weeks it is necessary to go to an ultrasound and check the place of attachment of the ovum (if pregnancy is desired). It is important to exclude an ectopic pregnancy, which can lead to irreversible effects.Then you need to start this long, difficult, but such a happy way to meet your baby in a good mood. Start taking folic acid, if you have not already done so, it will protect against various pathologies of the fetal neural tube. Eat right, eat fruits and vegetables, try good music, get only positive emotions, surround yourself with love and care of loved ones. And then the terrible toxicosis will not dare to break this serene and such a happy period in the life of every woman.
Video: how many weeks after intercourse you can do a pregnancy test
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