Many moons ago women had to pretty much guess whether they were pregnant or not. The first sign was, obviously, the missed periods, which could also be due to many other reasons. This shot in the dark changed as technology evolved.
Having changed from critical tests and ultrasounds to a mini test kit, the little old line is all that you need now to know whether you are pregnant or not. But how accurate are these pregnancy test kits and are they reliable? To solve these confusions, here are certain important things you should know about pregnancy tests.
Take the test first thing in the morning
According to research, it is recommended to take the pregnancy test first thing in the morning or during your first pee in the morning for a chance of much better results.
Pregnancy tests work by measuring the level of hCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) which is most concentrated when you go to the loo for the first time in the morning. You can, of course, take the test at any other time and maybe you will get the same result. However, for the most accurate result, you should take it during your first pee in the morning.
It can not tell the gender of the baby
One of the biggest myths regarding pregnancy tests is that they can tell the gender of your baby which is absolutely false.
It can expire
Just like other medicines, pregnancy test kits also have an expiry date after which they don’t work. The chemical used in them to detect hCG is no longer effective, which means that your result will go wrong. So, always check the date before using them.
Pregnancy tests can produce false results
Pregnancy tests are 97 percent to 99 percent accurate, leaving the remaining three to one percent as a potential margin for error – a false positive or false negative. According to research, this can happen if you are on a certain kind of medication, fertility drugs, or anticonvulsants. This can also happen if you’ve had a ‘chemical pregnancy’, which means the sperm technically did fertilise the egg, but the pregnancy, sadly, did not continue. This happens in 50 to 60 percent of first-time pregnancies.
