How do Pregnancy Tests Work?
Pregnancy tests identify a special hormone in the blood or urine produced during pregnancy. This hormone is called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), often referred to as the pregnancy hormone. There are two basic types of pregnancy tests, blood and urine. Home pregnancy test are primarily urine tests. These are easy to use, private and inexpensive. Most are quick and very accurate, claiming a 99% accuracy rate. Tests can be purchased at drug and discount stores without a prescription. False positives are very rare, but a false negative is possible if the test is done too early for sufficient quantities of HCG in your urine. False negatives can be avoided by waiting until your period is due, or about 2 weeks after you ovulate. Confirming a negative result with a second test a few days or a week later is wise. Always follow a positive result with a trip to your doctor for confirmation and prenatal care. Medicines containing HCG can cause a false positive on your home test, but most over-the-counter and prescription drugs will not affect test results. Blood test results may take a few hours or a day, and usually require a trip to the doctor or lab. There are two types of blood tests for pregnancy. The first, a qualitative HCG blood test, provides simple positive or negative results, similar to a urine test. This test is slightly less accurate than the quantitative blood test (or beta HCG test) which measures the exact amount of HCG in the blood. The beta test's ability to pick up small traces of HCG in the blood increase its accuracy. Whichever type of test you choose, it is important to remember that a follow-up trip to the doctor is important for you and your new baby. Maria writes for Pregnancy Due Date, a site that tries to information for expectant mothers. For more great pregnancy articles, visit our Pregnancy articles archive.
MORE RESOURCES:
Arizona Power Yoga offers Yoga with a kickKOLD-TV, AZ - 3 hours agoIf you're tight and lack overall flexibility, the last thing you should attempt is yoga, right? Wrong. At least, according the owner of the new Arizona ... |
Martha's Vineyard Magazine |
Finding your yogaMartha's Vineyard Magazine, MA - 5 hours agoJust like Goldilocks trying to find the right porridge and bed, this writer had to sample different styles of yoga before settling into a groove that worked ... |
The Australian |
Healthy habitatsThe Australian, Australia - 4 hours agoOrder personal meditation and yoga instructors; yoga mats and well-being DVDs are provided. Guests are encouraged to co-design bespoke detox meals with the ... |
Yoga tree poseIndianapolis Star, United States - Aug 25, 2008This traditional "tree" yoga pose has many benefits for regular yoga practitioners, as well as those who want to strengthen their core muscles and improve ... |
Health Calendar: Free yoga classes, and moreDallas Morning News, TX - Aug 26, 2008Yoga teachers from around the area will hold free classes Monday as part of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex Free Day of Yoga. Labor Day classes will be from ... |
Yoga - Google News
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