When you’re pregnant, the placenta releases a pregnancy hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The purpose of this hormone is to thicken the uterine wall to help make it more hospitable to an embryo so it can continue to develop.
Detectable levels of hCG can be found in urine or blood between 1 and 2 weeks after conception. A urine-based pregnancy test has a reactive strip that confirms whether or not this hormone is present.
While at-home pregnancy tests are highly accurate, there’s always the chance that you took one too early or it was possibly defective. We recommend a lab-quality, no-cost pregnancy test you can get at your Life Choices Medical Clinic to remove all doubts.
Keep reading this blog to understand how and when to get the most accurate results with your pregnancy test.
Should I Get a Blood or Urine Pregnancy Test
Blood pregnancy tests can detect hCG even earlier than urine tests, but you have to get blood drawn at a doctor’s office, and a lab analyzes it, so results may not be immediate like a urine test.
According to the Mayo Clinic, you should wait one day after your missed period to get a pregnancy test. If you wait even later, the higher the chance of its accuracy.
Get a Free Pregnancy Test and Ultrasound
In addition to taking a pregnancy test too early for a false negative, there is also the chance that you’ve miscarried. If you take a pregnancy test close enough to the miscarriage event, there will still be detectable levels of hCG, so in that case, you’d get a false positive.
26% of pregnancies end in a miscarriage, so it’s a good idea to schedule an ultrasound after a pregnancy test to determine its viability.
Life Choices Medical offers lab-quality pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and options consultations at no charge, where you can get medically accurate information and learn about local pregnancy resources.
We are here to empower you to make an informed decision. Contact us today!