How Early Can You Take a Pregnancy Test?

It is human to be impatient when you are in the most confused state of mind. Talk about pregnancy, and this curiosity factor can reach a high. Most women who are trying for a baby are always hoping that they get pregnant sooner than later. Some are extremely impatient and want to rush to take tests that can confirm the good news. But how soon should a pregnancy test be taken? this question plays an important role when determining the accuracy of your pregnancy test results. Let us look at the basic and simple answers first. The most reliable way is to wait until your period, and take the test on the first day of your missed period. You can also take the test 10 - 12 days after ovulation. For those who are not sure of the date or have irregular periods, they can take a test after about 21 days (3 weeks) after unprotected intercourse. This is the traditional time concept, however, today, technology has developed and is able to check pregnancy even before the due date of your period. Other factors also matter as every woman's body is different, the time taken for conception, hormones, etc., also need to be considered. We will discuss the various early pregnancy tests and considerations for the same.

How Soon to Test Pregnancy - Factors

As we discussed earlier, a normal pregnancy test can be done after a missed period, 10 - 12 days after ovulation, and 3 weeks after a possible conception. Testing for pregnancy is actually testing for the presence of the pregnancy hormone, that is hCG (human chronic gonadotropin ) in the body. Questions like how early can I take test before my period, after implantation and more, are the most obvious ones among women. To get accurate results, some important factors have to be considered.

Types of Pregnancy Tests
There are two types of pregnancy tests. A blood test and a urine test. The urine test can be done at home also, it will detect the amount of hCG in your urine. This hormone is only produced after implantation. Depending on the method of the urine test, the result shows a line, or a symbol, change in color, like differences to prove the result. If followed correctly, the home test will give you 97% accuracy in results. The other type of test is a blood test. You can get this done at the doctors. It measures the hCG in the bloodstream. It cannot be done though until 7 days of your ovulation. A blood test is more reliable than a urine test.

Other Variables in Testing Pregnancy
The other variables that can make a difference on how early can you take a pregnancy test are:

• Rate of hCG Production: Every women will produce hCG hormones at a varied pace, in some cases it may be fast in some it may be equally slow.
• Test Sensitivity: The more sensitive the test for pregnancy, it will detect pregnancy more early. Certain products for testing in the market are high sensitive, that means they will detect the slightest amount of hCG in urine. So can effectively detect pregnancy.
• Time of Ovulation and Implantation: The exact time of implantation cannot be determined as implantation will take some days even after conception. This makes it difficult to determine the time frame to wait and test.
• Other factors that can be associated are: Urine dilution, consumption of liquids, and in case of a urine test, what time of the day you take the test. Previous miscarriages, ectopic pregnancy or abortion, may also show a positive result, as hCG will still be present in your body. So consult a medical expert about how soon to take the test for accurate results, for your specific case.

Considering all the possible loopholes in taking a pregnancy test, it is advised to wait for the required time and then take the test. Also consider taking a re-test if you are not convinced with the results. The best is to consult a doctor and get yourself tested. These times require a woman to take extra care, so do not let the panic button make a fuss in your patience for testing pregnancy.