AM I PREGNANT?
Pregnancy tests look for a special hormone in the urine or blood that is only there when a woman is pregnant. This hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), can also be called the pregnancy hormone. The pregnancy hormone, hCG, is made in your body when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus. This usually happens about 6 days after conception. But studies show that the embryo doesn’t implant until later in some women. The amount of hCG increases drastically with each passing day you are pregnant. Many home pregnancy tests claim they can tell if you’re pregnant on the day you expect your period. But a recent study shows that most don’t give accurate results this early in pregnancy. Waiting one week after a missed period will usually give a more accurate answer.
Although this is the most common question we receive, it is one that we cannot answer. The only way to be sure of pregnancy is to have a pregnancy test. Pregnancy tests are accurate early in pregnancy as soon as a few days after a missed period, or from nine to fifteen days after the vaginal intercourse that caused the pregnancy.To be absolutely sure, it’s best to have the test done by a medical professional. Medical professionals use urine tests to detect pregnancy. Home tests can also detect pregnancy from a urine sample, but make sure to follow directions carefully and correctly. To make an appointment for a confidential pregnancy test with your nearest Planned Parenthood, call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN. In the meantime, here is some general information about the following frequently asked questions:Could I have gotten pregnant from…? Pregnancy can happen any time that ejaculate or pre-ejaculate is spilled on the vulva or inside the vagina.
Pregnancy tests look for a special hormone in the urine or blood that is only there when a woman is pregnant. This hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), can also be called the pregnancy hormone. The pregnancy hormone, hCG, is made in your body when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus. This usually happens about 6 days after conception. But studies show that the embryo doesn’t implant until later in some women. The amount of hCG increases drastically with each passing day you are pregnant. Many home pregnancy tests claim they can tell if you’re pregnant on the day you expect your period. But a recent study shows that most don’t give accurate results this early in pregnancy. Waiting one week after a missed period will usually give a more accurate answer.
All pregnancy tests work by detecting a certain hormone in the urine or blood that is only there when a woman is pregnant. This hormone is called human chorionic gonadotropin (kohr-ee-ON-ihk goh-NAD-uh-TROH-puhn), or hCG. It is also called the pregnancy hormone. hCG is made when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus. This usually happens about six days after the egg and sperm merge. But studies show that in up to 10 percent of women, implantation does not occur until much later, after the first day of the missed period. The amount of hCG rapidly builds up in your body with each passing day you are pregnant.
Sore breasts, tiredness, and frequent urination are common signs of pregnancy, even before a missed period. Many women have a sixth sense about when they become pregnant, but the only sure way to find out is to take a pregnancy test. You can buy a pregnancy testing kit at the chemist’s or supermarket and use it as early as one day after a missed period.
