Medical Health Tests >>  Articles >>  Medical Tests

Urine Test for Pregnancy



 Submitted by Medical Health Test Team on August 3, 2010
Urine Testing For Pregnancy

If you are exhibiting symptoms of pregnancy, for example a missed period, it is important to get a pregnancy test as soon as possible. You can get either a blood test or urine test for determining pregnancy.

Advantages of urine test: One of the major advantages of the urine test for pregnancy is that there is no need to make a visit to the doctor’s clinic. It can be easily done in the privacy of your home. You would also get the results immediately. Another major advantage of a urine test for pregnancy is that it is non-invasive.

How it works: There are many kinds of home kits available in the market today for urine testing to determine pregnancy.

Any test for pregnancy works by detecting and measuring the levels of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in the urine or blood. This is a hormone which is secreted by the cells of the uterus only during pregnancy. This hormone sends signals to the ovaries to produce higher quantities of progesterone and estrogen to help the growth of the fetus. As pregnancy progresses, the body produces larger quantities of hCG. While quantities of hCG produced by each woman varies, the average level is usually around 25 to 50 mIUs of hCG in the fourth and fifth months of pregnancy.  

Some of the latest home pregnancy testing kits are so sensitive that they can detect hCG levels which are as low as 15 mIU.

How to perform a home test: When buying a home kit for a urine test for pregnancy, first ensure that it is well within the expiry date. Read the instructions too very carefully.

Most kits include a testing strip to detect the presence of hCG. Remove this strip from the package and insert it in your stream of urine. You will have to wait for a couple of minutes before checking the results. According to the kit you are using, the test strip will either change colors or it will display a symbol to indicate that you are pregnant.

False results: You may sometimes get a false result from your urine test for pregnancy. This could be either due to a faulty testing strip or because you have not followed the instructions correctly.

You may get a false negative result, if you have used the test very early in your pregnancy and the levels of hCG are not high enough. In such a situation, it would be advisable to repeat the test after a few days. Also remember that the best time to conduct the test is in the morning and should be conducted on the first morning urine, as it has the highest concentration of hCG.

Read more articles from the Medical Tests Category.
Related Topics
Related Questions
Search

Today's
Poll

Erection Problems - Is it nervousness during sex or a genuine physical illness?
MedicalHealthTests© Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved.