Over the Counter Pregnancy Tests, basically test the urine for a hormone called Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG). This hormone is only present when one is pregnant. More specifically, this hormone is only released if a fertilized egg attaches outside the uterus or to the uterine lining.
The different kinds of pregnancy kits in the market entail different ways to collect the urine for the test. The easiest way is to collect the urine in a cup and dip a testing stick into the liquid. Alternately, one can collect the urine in a cup and use an eye dropper to move a small amount of fluid into a special container. Finally, the simplest manner is to place the testing stick such that it catches the urine midstream. A pregnancy test is considered 99 percent effective if taken after a missed period. Perhaps the most convenient thing about an over the counter pregnancy test kit is that it can be done in the privacy of one’s home. Also, soon after doing the test, it is recommended that one waits for a certain amount of time before one views the results. After this recommended waiting time has passed, the results of the test will be known through a change in colour, a line, a symbol such as plus or minus and in some cases, the actual words “pregnant” or “not pregnant”. How soon can you take a pregnancy test? A pregnancy test should ideally be taken a week after one misses the period. This more since this way, there is a better chance of the result being accurate. In case waiting to miss one’s period is too long a wait, one should wait for at least two weeks after unprotected sex, to know of a pregnancy. This is because the body needs 7 to 12 days after successful implantation of an egg, to develop detectable levels of HCG. When should one take a Pregnancy Test The most obvious indication of an impending pregnancy is a missed menstrual cycle. Also, if there is light spotting it can be attributed to the fact that the egg buries deep into the uterine lining during implantation. Here the colour, texture, and amount of blood should be taken into consideration to ascertain a pregnancy. The right pregnancy kit can help accurately detect pregnancy in its early stages so that care for the unborn life, can begin as early as possible.
