What are the types of pregnancy tests available?

There are several types of pregnancy tests, and different ways to find out the answer to the question "Am I pregnant?" You can buy an at home (urine) pregnancy test or get a blood test in your doctor's office. Our online pregnancy test is faster, easier, and costs nothing. We analyze your answers to questions about your symptoms, ovulation, sex, your past history, and other factors to tell you whether you are likely to be pregnant or not. Based on our findings, we recommend that you follow up with a home pregnancy test, or see your doctor.

How do pregnancy tests work?

Both at-home urine and doctor's office blood pregnancy tests check for the presence of the pregnancy hormone hCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin. This hCG hormone is produced by the placenta and usually shows up first in the blood within 2-3 days after implantation and several days later in the urine.

If hCG is present and the pregnancy test is positive, then there is a high chance that you are pregnant. It's rare to have a false positive pregnancy test (a pregnancy test that's positive but you are not pregnant). It's much more frequent to have a false negative pregnancy test (a negative pregnancy test when you are actually pregnant). 

What are the most common early pregnancy symptoms?

The increase in the pregnancy hormone triggers most of your early pregnancy symptoms which can be an indication that you might be pregnant. Symptoms may include implantation cramping and spotting, nausea, vomiting, and breast tenderness.

When to do a home pregnancy test?

Home pregnancy tests are normally performed at home after the date when the menstrual cycle is supposed to start. Depending on the brand of home pregnancy test chosen, you test as early as the first day of your missed period. Several brands of home pregnancy tests claim to test for pregnancy before the missed period. These tests are more sensitive to hCG and reveal whether hCG is present in the urine. The most sensitive home pregnancy tests are able to read even the smallest amount of hCG in the urine.

While these home pregnancy tests can test positive for pregnancy as early as ten days after conception, obstetricians still suggest you wait until the first day of your missed period. This is the time when the hCG levels will be high enough to test on every home pregnancy test.

The home pregnancy test and the urine test performed in a doctor's office are one and the same. The test results are visible only for a few hours after the positive result on the home test and while that test is, more than likely, accurate, the doctor will need to see the positive test result in order to start a plan of care.

How accurate are urine pregnancy tests?

Whether taken at home or in the office, the urine pregnancy test is easy to take and more than 97% accurate. In rare cases, a positive urine pregnancy test can be "false positive", which is a positive pregnancy test when you are not pregnant. A false positive pregnancy test can also be a "phantom hCG" which is a false positive blood test with a low positive blood pregnancy test, but the urine test is negative, and there is no pregnancy.  A "false negative" pregnancy test is a pregnancy test that's negative but you are pregnant. That usually happens if you test too early.

What can go wrong with the home pregnancy test?

The majority of the problems reported about urine pregnancy tests are related to the improper use of the test or the test being read inaccurately. For example, if you read the stick beyond the recommended time (usually well after 2-3 minutes) then you could get an "evaporation line" which mimics a positive pregnancy test. The most common problem is too little urine being absorbed by the urine pregnancy test stick.

This online pregnancy test was created by Dr. Amos Grunebaum to evaluate your pregnancy symptoms and answer the big question, "Am I pregnant?" in just 3 minutes. The babyMed online pregnancy test could be considered a form of telemedicine, offering health information online. This interactive set of questions will let you know if you may be pregnant without buying anything or even leaving your home.

Take this online pregnancy quiz and see if you are pregnant!