Pregnancy Test Kit: Here’s Everything You Want To Know

When taking a pregnancy test at home, always take a sample from first morning pee, regardless of which pregnancy testing kit you're using. Reason explained below...

Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : June 17, 2022 4:01 PM IST

For women who are trying to conceive, knowing everything about pregnancy kit is very crucial. When you're trying to conceive and aren't getting your periods, the first thing you should do is take a pregnancy test at home before heading to the doctor. Because of its accuracy and ease of use, taking a pregnancy test at home is becoming more popular. Read this article further to know everything about pregnancy kit and tests.

What is a pregnancy test kit?

Home pregnancy test kits, as the name implies, use a simple test to determine whether or not you are pregnant. These kits may be found at any local chemist shop or on the internet. These test kits may be purchased without a prescription and used to check for pregnancy in the privacy of your own home.

The amount of a hormone known as Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) in the urine is measured with these at-home kits. These tests, unlike laboratory pregnancy tests, are qualitative tests that merely evaluate the presence of the hormone and show whether the test is positive or negative.

How do they work?

Pregnancy tests indicate the level of hCG in your body. HCG can be traced in the urine or blood. As this hormone takes time to increase its level in your body, early pregnancy tests can be negative. Your body produces more hCG each passing day throughout early pregnancy. As the weeks pass, your body will produce more hCG, making it more probable that a pregnancy test will come back positive.

The level of hCG in your urine or blood is detected by pregnancy tests. Reactive paper detects the presence of hCG in a urine test. A +sign, vertical lines, or even the word "pregnancy" may appear as a result. A positive result can appear in different ways, depending on the test. You should read the guidelines that comes with the product to know how a positive result looks like. There will be a control window that appears first throughout the test. If you see a sign in this window, it means the test is running. Keep in mind that the processing time for different brands of tests will vary.

How to check the results from pregnancy kit?

Always test yourself by the first pee when you wake up in the morning, regardless of which pregnancy testing kit you purchase. The rationale for this is that it is the most intense, and your chances of receiving a positive response are higher if you take the test during this time. Here's what the test findings signify, which are presented in the center of the stick/strip.

A single pink line indicates that the test was negative and that you are not pregnant.
If both pink lines appear, this indicates you are pregnant. Even if the second line is faint, this holds true.
No line indicates that the test was invalid and must be retaken. An invalid test can occur for a variety of reasons, including using the incorrect procedure, using an expired kit, spilling too little pee, or simply because the test was defective. In this scenario, retake the test using a different kit.
If your test shows a faint second line, it's possible you're pregnant. Because you are still early in your pregnancy, a faint line might be caused by a low hormone level. Take the exam again after a few days have passed. If you're still unsure, see a specialist and get a test done just to be cautious.

Can the test be false?

There are several instances where the results of a test you took may not be accurate. The following are some examples of situations when it can happen