When to Take a Pregnancy Test - Best Time to Take a Pregnancy Test

The human body is complicated, and its working mechanism is even more complex. It's difficult to understand the number of chemical processes taking place inside the body. A lot depends on the timings of what's happening inside. Especially detection of pregnancy. You are planning to raise your family and are eager to know whether you are pregnant or not. You can answer your own question by performing a small test with the help of a pregnancy test kit. Do you know the best time to take a pregnancy test? If not, then read on.

When is the Best Time to Take a Pregnancy Test?
The very first indication of pregnancy is the delay of menstruation. The best time to take a pregnancy test is the first or the second day of the due date of your menses. Medical practitioners perform a blood test for detection. You can also conduct a pregnancy test at home. Home pregnancy test kits are available in medical stores. The test taken with the very first morning urine gives the most accurate result.

Do Pregnancy Test Results Depend on the "Best Time"?
A glycoprotein hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is produced by the fertilized ovum in the uterus, soon after conception. The hormone hCG is present in the urine. The detection of the presence of hCG in the urine is the basis of a home pregnancy test (HPT) kit. On an average, the formation of hCG occurs after six days of conception or sexual intercourse. The number of days is not fixed and varies from woman to woman. Therefore, it is advisable to take a pregnancy test after seven to ten days of possible conception. Birth control pills do not alter the result.

If the result is negative, take another test in a week or so. This will confirm the result. Do not rely completely on the HPT as the results are not 100% accurate. Whatever the result, positive or negative, make it a point to visit a medical practitioner to get it confirmed.

During the first stage of pregnancy, the hCG level rises quite fast. The hCG amount almost doubles every day. A higher level of hCG gets detected easily. Therefore, as time goes by, the accuracy of the result increases. This was more true for older test kits. Newly designed HPT kits are sensitive enough to detect even lower hCG concentrations and can provide a positive test quite early.

The sensitivity of the HPT differs from kit to kit. HPT kits are designed to detect hCG concentration in urine. Some can show results with a concentration of as low as 20 ml per liter of urine, while some may even need 150 ml per liter of urine to give a result. Obviously, the former one is more sensitive. Usually, the sensitivity is written on the box of the kit. So the results can vary depending on the kit you have bought.

For most of the HPT kits, the reliability varies from 95% to 99%. Actually, reliability depends on the whether or not the test has been performed under 'optimum circumstances'. The instructions are available on the HPT kit box. Read and follow it carefully. Make it a point to carry out pregnancy testing with the first urine sample in the morning. If you test at any time during day, avoid drinking lots of water before it. Leave the kit once you have put urine into it. Check after the recommended time period. Do repeat the test after three to five days, just to confirm the result.

Depending upon the working and sensitivity of pregnancy test kits, the best time to take a pregnancy test is seven to ten days after sexual intercourse. It will give you the most accurate result. After learning about hCG production, its concentration, and the detection basis of an HPT, I'm sure you have a better idea of when to take a pregnancy test.