Test like a woman. How to choose reliable women's tests?

An express test is the fastest and most accurate method for diagnosing pregnancy in the early and very early stages. The principle of its operation is based on a method for highly accurate determination of the pregnancy hormone - hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin).

HCG begins to be produced by the tissues of the chorion (precursor of the placenta) from the moment the embryo implants into the wall of the uterus. Typically, implantation is performed 5-7 days after conception, and the better the patency of the fallopian tubes, the faster this process occurs.

How the pregnancy test works

Starting from the moment of fetal implantation, human chorionic gonadotropin levels increase rapidly. During the first 14 days, starting from the moment of implantation, its concentration doubles. In some places, from the 10th day after conception, the level of hCG in a woman’s blood becomes sufficient to determine the presence of pregnancy using a regular and compact rapid test, without even using the services of a laboratory. Upon contact with human chorionic gonadotropin, a dye begins to be released from the absorbent part of the test, which colors the second strip on the diagnostic field. The 1st lane is the control and is colored under the influence of liquid. The brightness of the test strip can be different, it directly depends on the concentration of the pregnancy hormone in the urine, in other words, in the very early stages it can be barely noticeable, but in the future it will become brighter.

Reasons for a false test?

Often a woman has all the symptoms of pregnancy, but the test is negative. False results are a consequence of incorrect procedure, or the manifestation of serious pathologies.

Why the test is negative:

• diagnosing too early
  when hCG levels are low;
• during the procedure the rules
  indicated in the instructions were not followed;
• use of low-quality test
  , inexpensive models with a high degree of error;
• poor quality of urine
  - long-term use of diuretics, excessive fluid intake on the eve of the procedure, all these factors reduce the amount of hCG in the urine;
• pathologies of the kidneys, organs of the genitourinary system
  - the level of hCG in such diseases can be minimal for a long time; with inflammation, protein appears in the urine, which also negatively affects the reliability of the test;
• ectopic pregnancy, threatened miscarriage
  - pathologies are accompanied by nagging pain in the lower abdomen, spotting vaginal discharge appears.

Improper storage of the test negatively affects its reliability - purchase home diagnostic tools immediately before use.

Tests can show a false positive result with long-term use of hormonal drugs for the treatment of gynecological diseases, in the presence of tumors; often 2 stripes appear even several months after a miscarriage.

Important! The manifestations of PMS and pregnancy are largely similar, which explains the absence of 2 lines on the test when there are signs of conception.

Types of express tests

• test strip (strip test) - the most affordable;
• jet test (midstream test) - the most convenient to use;
• tablet (or cassette) test is the most accurate;
• The digital electronic test is the most high-tech, involves multiple use and allows you to detect not only the presence of pregnancy, but also its exact duration (up to 3 weeks).

All these types of tests provide the highest percentage of reliability. To minimize the risk of error, you should use test systems from trusted manufacturers.

The gradation of rapid tests for determining pregnancy depends on the sensitivity of the reagent used. Highly sensitive tests (from 10 mIU/l) - allow you to detect pregnancy even before a missed period. Tests with normal sensitivity (from 25 mIU/l) are used from the first days of a delayed menstrual cycle. The only drawback of high-quality test systems with the highest sensitivity is their relatively high cost.

Indications

The test reading method is also slightly different for different systems.

Test strips have two cross bars for indication. The appearance of one means that the result is considered valid, the appearance of the second means that the fetus is developing.

The first line is always clear, but the second, signaling pregnancy, may have different intensity. In some cases, it may be pale or have unclear outlines. This should still be counted as a positive result. The reason may be a small amount of hCG in the urine.

Tablet modules usually also use a similar principle. However, the dashes are shown in a special window.

The results of the tablet test are deciphered as follows:

• 0 dashes – test is invalid,
• 1 dash – no pregnancy,
• 2 dashes – pregnancy.

In the case of a jet test, the results are displayed in the form of pluses and minuses (plus - positive result, minus - no pregnancy), or transverse lines.

Electronic devices may display the message “pregnant”/“not pregnant”. The most advanced systems show not only the test result, but also, in the case of pregnancy, how many weeks the fetus has been developing. For example, the inscription “1-2” means 1-2 weeks, “2-3” means 2-3 weeks, “3+” means more than 3 weeks.

Electronic test readings can be stored for a long time in the device's memory.

Diagnosis of pregnancy using tests

Before considering the principles of proper use of test systems of all types, you must carefully read the instructions for use in order to minimize the possibility of an incorrect result.

• General rules of use
• Storing the dough under the conditions indicated on the packaging.
• Integrity of the dough package.
• Test reuse is not permitted.
• Diagnosis of pregnancy using fresh morning urine.
• The use of expired test systems is prohibited.
• Strict adherence to the time spent in urine and evaluation of test results.

Test strip - To use this test system, you will need a urine collection container. Next, you should lower the strip into freshly collected urine to the indicated level, and place it on a clean and dry horizontal surface. The waiting time for the result is a couple of minutes, usually less than 10. Typically, this type of pregnancy diagnosis is most often used at home.

Jet test - its design implies use in any conditions. To accurately determine pregnancy, it will be enough to place the end of the test indicated in the instructions under a stream of urine. You can evaluate the result of this express test quite quickly - in 1-5 minutes. These tests are considered more accurate than test strips.

Cassette Test - Testing with this system involves placing a precisely designated amount of urine into the test window on the plastic case of the test cassette. In addition, like the test strip, it implies home implementation.

Digital electronic test is a highly accurate (more than 99%) modern test system equipped with a dual highly intelligent sensor. The method of use is similar to the jet test, but has its own characteristics - it should be held under a stream of urine for approximately 5 seconds. In addition, you can use the principle of using a test strip using a urine container, for this purpose the test is placed in liquid for 20 seconds. The uniqueness of the digital test is that it allows, in addition to the presence of pregnancy, to determine its exact duration (1-2 weeks, two to three weeks and 3+ weeks). Another pleasant highlight is the ability to diagnose pregnancy from 4 days before the expected menstruation. The accuracy of the result at this very early date is approximately 65%, it increases every day and reaches over 99% by the first day of the delay. When reusing, you need to change the replacement strip with the reagent (they are sold complete with the digital test).

What time should the test be taken?

The highest concentration of hormones is contained in morning urine, so if you couldn’t resist and decided to do the test a couple of days before the expected delay, it is better to carry out the procedure in the morning.

After the delay, the test will be effective at any time of the day, since the concentration of the hormone will already reach fairly high levels.

For maximum reliability, it is recommended to limit fluid intake before testing and not use diuretics.

If you don't remember the date of your last menstrual period, but know your estimated date of conception, take the test 20 days after it.

Positive result in the absence of pregnancy

Even if a woman is not pregnant, rapid tests can show a positive result from time to time. This happens in the following cases:

• Some time after artificial termination of pregnancy or spontaneous abortion;
• the period after elimination of a tubal (ectopic) pregnancy;
• chorionepithelioma (tumor that produces hCG);
• hydatidiform mole (proliferation of placental villi in the absence of an embryo);
• when taking hormonal drugs that contain hCG (more than 10 days must pass after taking the last dose).

Early signs of pregnancy

When a woman becomes pregnant, the so-called restructuring begins in her body in order to successfully bear and give birth to a child. All changes during this period, even before the delay of menstruation, have their own signs.

These include:

• Minor spotting approximately 6-12 days after intercourse
• Frequent and painful urination
• Increased appetite
• Cold symptoms are often felt, that is, headaches, fatigue, fever, malaise.
• Lower blood pressure
• Sensitivity of the mammary glands, perhaps they swell a little or become painful.

A feeling of fullness in the lower abdomen, this may be due to the fact that during pregnancy, blood flow to the pelvic area increases and the uterus becomes larger.

• Increased sensitivity to odors
• Nausea
• Dizziness

Indirect signs

Often, most women do not notice the onset of pregnancy and the beginning of life. Only after a new menstrual cycle does not occur do girls begin to suspect something. Doctors say that a delay in menstruation is the very first sign, but still indirect. After all, a delay can occur due to hormonal imbalances, inflammatory processes or other reasons.

Ectopic pregnancy

Sometimes an ectopic pregnancy occurs, in which the baby develops outside the uterus. This may be due to inflammation, congenital or acquired pathologies of the fallopian tubes, or hormonal disorders. Unfortunately, it is impossible to save the child.

It is extremely important to identify the pathology in the early stages; otherwise, the woman’s life will be at risk. At the initial stages, it is no different from the usual one, but in the future, the development of the fertilized egg in the wrong place will lead to intra-abdominal bleeding and urgent surgery will be required.

False negative result

False positives are somewhat more common. His reasons:

• application earlier than the time indicated in the annotation;
• consumption of excess water, diuretics, which reduces the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood and urine;
• threat of pregnancy failure;
• frozen or ectopic pregnancy;
• some diseases (in particular pathologies of the urinary system);
• a damaged test or non-compliance with the standards for its storage and use.
• Individual characteristics of pregnancy tests in women with different menstrual cycle lengths

With a constant cycle, ovulation occurs exactly in the middle of the cycle. It is worth adding 5-7 days to this time, and the resulting result will reflect the period from which you can start using highly accurate methods of home rapid tests. If the cycle is irregular, then you need to determine the date of ovulation. It can be determined in several ways:

• using an ovulation test;
• assessment of the basal temperature chart;
• monitoring the discharge (during ovulation, the mucous discharge becomes similar in mixture to egg white).

Woman's well-being

Signs of early pregnancy are individual and depend on physiological characteristics. Moreover, even for one woman they can differ during different pregnancies. A week after possible conception, a woman may experience fatigue, malaise, drowsiness, a slight heightened sense of smell, or an increased urge to urinate. Sometimes small spotting occurs - the so-called implantation bleeding, which occurs when a fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus. It must be remembered that all these signs are very subjective and should not be relied on.

Additional Methods

In addition to rapid tests, there are other ways to diagnose pregnancy. A blood test for beta-hCG will help assess the correct course of pregnancy in the early stages. This type of analysis allows you to find the exact amount of the hormone in the patient’s blood and track the dynamics of its growth. A very slow increase in hCG indicates difficulties associated with the pathology of embryo development, and a very rapid increase indicates the likelihood of a multiple pregnancy. This is the most accurate way to determine pregnancy; it can be used to confirm the result of the test, which gives the highest, but still not one hundred percent, guarantee. And also, a blood test for beta-hCG will allow you to detect pregnancy at an extremely early stage, which is especially important when conceiving using IVF.

If the pregnancy test is positive, an urgent consultation with an obstetrician-gynecologist is required. Proper support of pregnancy from the first weeks is the key to the birth of a healthy baby. An express test is the fastest and most accurate method for diagnosing pregnancy in the early and very early stages. But if you do not want pregnancy, it is best to use modern methods of contraception.

How many days and when will the test show pregnancy after conception?

For a woman, the exciting question is when and how many days later you can use the test to know for sure whether conception has occurred or not. Human chorionic gonadotropin is present in the body in non-pregnant women and men. In women, the hormone:

• stimulates the growth of the egg in the ovary;
• ensures completion of egg maturation in the follicle;
• creates conditions for subsequent ovulation - rupture of the follicle and release of the egg.

In men, the hormone regulates reproductive function and affects the maturation of sperm in men. The normal hCG level in healthy adults is 0 – 15 mIU/ml.

HCG levels rise from the moment of conception. The hormone begins to be produced at the stage of early embryonic development of the embryo, even before the fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus. But active hormone production is recorded immediately after embryo implantation. This is observed 6–8 days after fertilization of the egg and continues throughout pregnancy.

Normally, hCG is detected in the blood serum and urine of pregnant women 6–10 days after fertilization. Its content increases until the end of the first trimester of pregnancy, and then decreases.

Table 1 will guide women in how many days a diagnosis can be made. The table shows the findings of clinical studies on early pregnancy detection using the Clearblue digital test.

Table 1

If the diagnosis is carried out before the first day of the expected cycle and the answer “not pregnant” is received, then there is a high probability that the hormone level has not yet reached the amount required to determine pregnancy. Repeat the test on the first day of your cycle.

The Clearblue test is 99% accurate if a woman uses it on the first day of her expected period. The answer is consistent with the results of the ultrasound examination. The gestational age by week is 97% identical to the result of a later ultrasound. When comparing the results of 187 women (1 - 2, 2 - 3, 3 or more weeks after conception) and ultrasound results, the error was +/- 5 days.