Pregnancy Testing Center in Antigua

Pregnancy tests check your urine or blood for a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Your body makes this hormone after a fertilized egg attaches to the wall of your uterus.This usually happens about 6 days after fertilization. Levels of hCG rise quickly, doubling every 2 to 3 days.

There are two main types of pregnancy tests, which are blood tests and urine tests.

Blood tests

You get these at the doctor’s office, but they’re not used as often as urine tests. These tests can detect pregnancy earlier than a home pregnancy test, about 6 to 8 days after ovulation. It takes longer to get the results than with a home pregnancy test.

The two types of blood pregnancy tests are:

A qualitative hCG test simply checks for hCG. It gives a “yes” or “no” answer to the question, “Are you pregnant?” Doctors often order these tests to confirm pregnancy as early as 10 days after conception. Some can detect hCG much earlier.

A quantitative hCG test (beta hCG) measures the exact amount of hCG in your blood. It can find even very low levels of hCG. These tests may help track problems during pregnancy. Your doctor may use them along with other tests to rule out an ectopic pregnancy, when the fertilized egg implants outside your uterus, or after a miscarriage, when hCG levels fall quickly.

Urine tests

You can take these at home or in a doctor’s office.

Along with being private and convenient, home pregnancy tests are quick and easy to use. They’re also very accurate if you follow the directions. These pregnancy tests all work in a similar way. You test your urine in one of these ways:

Hold the test stick in your urine stream

Collect pee in a cup and dip the test stick into it

Collect pee in a cup and use a dropper to put it into another container

You’ll need to wait a few minutes before seeing the results.

After you take this test, you can confirm your results by seeing your doctor, who can do even more sensitive pregnancy tests.

Concerned about pregnancy? Visit Bowen Medical.