As a rule, a woman begins to suspect that she is pregnant, even before the delay in menstruation. A home pregnancy test is a treasured opportunity to find out the state of affairs. Imagine disappointment if it gives a false positive or false negative result. Alas, the error, although small, exists.
Instructions
Step 1
Home pregnancy tests work by measuring the level of the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in the urine. This hormone is also called pregnancy hormone. It begins to be secreted by the ovum after its implantation in the uterine cavity, which occurs 7-10 days after the fertilization of the egg. HCG passes into the bloodstream and through the kidneys into the mother's urine. If a woman is pregnant, then by the beginning of the next cycle, the level of the hormone can already reach 25 MU / ml. Antibodies to hCG are applied to the surface of the test, helping to determine the presence of the hormone in a volume of 25 or more MU / ml.
Step 2
Tests are tablet, inkjet, electronic, and test strips. The largest error is given by test strips (up to 10% of cases), and the smallest - by plate tests (up to 1% of cases). On average, the reliability of the test results on the first day of the monthly delay is 90 ± 5%, and after 7 days of delay - 94-100%, taking into account the correct use. Tablet and electronic tests are the most expensive, but the error of these tests is reduced to 0.01% or even less. Often, the responsibility for a false result lies with the user himself, as many women poorly comply with the test conditions.
Step 3
In order for the pregnancy test not to lie, the following conditions must be followed:
1. Wait until morning to collect the first urine, when the concentration of hCG in urine is highest;
2. make sure that no water gets into the urine;
3. check if the test system has expired;
4. Conduct the test from the 1st day of delay in menstruation, since at a very short time the test can give a false negative result;
5. When using test strips, do not lower the test deeper than the indicated line and do not grasp the part of the test to which the reagent is applied with your fingers.
Step 4
If you have any kind of kidney disease or tumor, the test may erroneously give a positive result. The same situation can happen if you are taking hormonal medications. If two stripes appear on the test, but one of them is pale or barely visible, then the result can be considered positive, but, apparently, the hCG content in the urine is quite low. This may indicate an ectopic pregnancy, when the fetus is attached in the wrong place, for example, in the fallopian tube, in the cervix or in the abdominal cavity. The test can also give a false negative result if there is a threat of miscarriage during a short period of pregnancy.
