Pregnancy tests: A comprehensive guide

If a woman suspects that she is pregnant, she can now easily and simply carry out a pregnancy test at home. The tests available in pharmacies work by wetting them with urine and then detecting the pregnancy hormone beta-hCG within a few minutes. After a short time, a small display shows whether the suspicion has been confirmed.

When is the test result reliable?

From the first day of your missed period, you can always take a rapid test from the pharmacy. The reliability of the test increases the longer you wait since your period stopped. All pregnancy tests measure the pregnancy hormone hCG in the body (in urine or blood, depending on the test). This hormone is produced to maintain the pregnancy and the concentration of the hormone doubles every day from the beginning of the pregnancy. The concentration of the pregnancy hormone is highest in the 8th-10th week of pregnancy, after which it decreases again.

Risks that can influence the result

A pregnancy test generally detects the pregnancy hormone in the blood, thus providing a result as to whether a pregnancy is present. However, there are also some factors or risks that can falsify the result. Application errors are one reason why the test may or may not falsely indicate a pregnancy. But other influences also play a role in the test result. If the urine is first placed in a container and then the test stick is inserted, impurities in the container can influence the test result. An infection and the resulting blood or protein in the urine can also falsify the test results. There are also medications that contain various substances such as benzodiazepines, hCG, neuroleptics or phenothiazine, which can falsify the results. Other influencing factors are bacteria in the urine, an ectopic pregnancy or if the egg has not implanted in the uterus or if there are egg miscarriages.

Can I rely on every test?

Generally speaking, all the tests available on the market are good and provide an equally reliable indication of whether you are pregnant and whether your family is growing. The tests can provide very reliable results regarding family planning around five to seven days after the missed period. There are only differences between tests that can only be carried out in the morning and those that can be carried out throughout the day. Morning urine has a higher concentration of the pregnancy hormone, so the expectant mother can obtain even more reliable results with this test. If the result of the test is not clear, it is advisable to repeat the test 2-3 days later to clarify the situation.

The test is positive - pregnant, what now?

If the test shows that you are pregnant, it still makes sense to visit the gynaecologist to confirm the pregnancy. Here, the expectant mother can have another blood test carried out to confirm the pregnancy. There, pregnancy is confirmed either by ultrasound or by palpation of the uterus. Your doctor will also give you tips on how to deal with your body and its changes during pregnancy.