Home Pregnancy Tests
Missing one or more consecutive menstrual periods may be an indicator of the pregnancy.
Other associated signs include
- Food cravings or aversions and
If a woman notices any of these signs, then it’s time for a pregnancy test, which can be done both at home and at a clinic. Home pregnancy test kits are now available as over-the-counter products. These kits are reliable, if they are used according to the direction indicated on it.
Human chorionic gonadatropin:
Once a woman is pregnant, her body begins to secrete increased amounts of a hormone known as human chorionic gonadatropin (hCG), which becomes evident in the urine. The pregnancy test kits usually have a color indicator to identify the presence of this hormone in urine and changes color to indicate pregnancy.
How it can be done:
For performing the test, a woman can either hold the strip in her urine stream or collect the urine in a cup and dip the test strip into the cup. If a woman observed a colored line (depending on the brand of pregnancy test kit purchased) it indicates that she is pregnant. For the most reliable results, this test should be performed 1–2 weeks after the woman miss the last period. The first morning urine tends to produce more accurate results.2
Any positive result should be confirmed by consulting with a doctor. If one suspects that she is pregnant but the home test show negative result then, she may either repeat the test after a week to recheck or consult the doctor.
Next page: Ways for coping up with unplanned pregnancy
Written by: Healthplus24 team
Date last updated: April 21, 2012