Some early-detection pregnancy tests may read positive as early as eight days post-conception with about 75% accuracy.
However, all pregnancy tests are most accurate if you wait until after your period is late.
Pregnancy tests detect the pregnancy hormonehuman chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG)in urine.
Verywell / Ellen Lindner
This article discusses early pregnancy tests and how soon a pregnancy test can show a positive.
(In fact, it’s known as the “pregnancy hormone.")
Home pregnancy tests work by including material that can soak up urine and is treated to detect hCG.
Early pregnancy tests are more sensitive than traditional over-the-counter pregnancy tests and can potentially detect hCG earlier on.
Neither is as accurate as standard tests that your healthcare provider can run, however.
This is why any positive at-home pregnancy test must be confirmed by other tests to accurately diagnose pregnancy.
What if My Pregnancy Test Is Negative?
It just means your urine does not have enough hCG in it to trigger a positive result.
To know when you should have gotten your period, it helps to know when you ovulated.
Menstrual bleeding usually begins 14 days afterovulation.
To track ovulation, you’ve got the option to useovulation test kitsor track yourbasal body temperature.
Taking a pregnancy test first thing in the morning gives you a better chance of getting an accurate result.
This usually means peeing on the end of a stick, which will check your urine for hCG.
Small amounts of hCG can sometimes be detected in the urine about 10 days after conception.
Pregnancy tests should be kept at room temperature.
Keep them away from direct sunlight, moisture, or excessive heat.
verify to check the expiration date before using.
Pregnancy tests that are past their expiration date should be discarded.
How Accurate Are Early Pregnancy Tests?
Pregnancy tests can be wrong.
In one European study, seven pregnancy tests were tested for accuracy.
Three of those seven tests were accurate 97.6% to 100% of the time.
The other four tests had lower accuracy rates, ranging from 81.6% to 95.9%.
It’s rare to have a false positive because your body doesn’t produce hCG unless you’re pregnant.
If your pregnancy test is still negative, test again in three days.
This gives hCG levels a chance to reach detectable levels.
Some symptoms of early pregnancy include:
What Is a False Positive Pregnancy Test?
If not, test again.
Contact your healthcare provider if the tests stay negative and you still don’t get a period.
If you do test positive, call your healthcare provider to schedule an appointment.
Summary
Most pregnancy tests are very accurate if you take them after you’ve missed a period.
Pregnancy tests check your urine for the presence of a pregnancy hormone called hCG.
confirm you follow the test’s instructions.
They are most accurate if you take them when you urinate for the first time in the morning.
It is possible for a pregnancy test to be falsely negative.
This often happens because the test wasn’t taken correctly or it was taken too soon.
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