Any woman who hopes to be pregnant knows how agonizing the "two week wait" (the time between ovulation and an expected menstrual period) can be. Early detection of pregnancy has definite advantages for both mother and baby, as the sooner a woman knows if she is pregnant, the sooner she can make any necessary changes to her lifestyle and seek proper prenatal care.
Early pregnancy tests work by detecting hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotropin), which to begins build in a woman's system six to eight days after conception and can be detected in urine. Generally, early pregnancy tests do not give accurate results before the day of an expected period. However, there are now home pregnancy tests available that claim to give results as early as five or six days before a woman's period is due. But are these tests accurate? And if not, what other testing options do women have?
First Response® Gold Digital and Early Result Pregnancy Tests
In addition to its "rapid results" pregnancy test, First Response now has two FDA-approved tests on the market that give results well before the first day of a missed period – the First Response Gold Digital Pregnancy Test , which can be used five days before a missed period, and the First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test, which can be used six days before.
FirstResponse.com does advise, however, that every woman is different and that for some, detectable levels of hCG may not appear until after a missed period. The information included with the tests notes that a study proved 68% accuracy when testing six days before a missed period with the Early Result test and 58% accuracy when testing four days before with the Gold Digital test.
The accuracy of an early pregnancy test will increase the closer a woman is to her expected period. A woman who gets a negative result when testing early should test again if her period does not begin within seven days.
Other Pregnancy Test Options
Clearblue® also has digital pregnancy test that can be taken four days before an expected period, with 53% accuracy (accuracy increases the closer a woman is to her expected period). The advantage of a digital test is that it is that the results appear in words ("Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant") and are therefore impossible to misinterpret. Clearblue also has a regular pregnancy test.
Most pharamcies and chain stores have generic early pregnancy tests on offer, which tend to be less expensive than name brands. Sensitivity levels of various pregnancy tests can be found here. A slightly different option is the Aimstrip dipstick, which is a carboard stick that is dipped in a glass of urine. The Aimstick detects hCG at as low a level as 20mIU/ml, making it one of the most senistive tests available. Aimsticks usually have to be ordered online, but they are less expensive than "midstream" tests.
Another option for detecting early pregnancy is to go to a doctor for a blood test. hCG can be detected in the blood seven to 10 days after conception.
Regardless of her method for detecting pregnancy, a woman should seek proper prenatal care as soon as she finds out she is pregnant and should make any necesssary lifestyle changes, such as improvements to diet, smoking cessation and abstinence from alcohol. Most of all, she should try to enjoy this exciting time in her life.
Sources:
FirstResponse.com, "Early Result Insert," (accessed March 16, 2010)
FirstResponse.com, "GoldPreg Insert," (accessed March 16, 2010)
TheMedicalNews.com, "FDA Approves FIRST RESPONSE Early Result Pregnancy Test," (accessed March 16, 2010)
BabyHopes.com, "Aimstrip Pregnancy Test Strip Usage Instructions," (accessed March 16, 2010)
BabyHopes.com, "Is a Blood Test More Accurate for Pregnancy than a Urine Test?" (accessed March 16, 2010)
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Kim Downey - Kim Downey graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2005. She is now a part time freelance and creative writer and a full time ...
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