A pregnancy test is undertaken to determine whether the woman is pregnant. Pregnancy test can be performed at a hospital by a qualified doctor or you can do it yourself at home provided you have the right kind of pregnancy test tools. However, if you suspect that you might be pregnant, it is always advisable to meet the doctor and let him do the necessary tests. Doctors conduct blood and urine tests to determine the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin, which is made by placenta, an important organ supplying the baby with oxygen as well as nutrients during the pregnancy stage.

Pregnancy test kit price is quite affordable and these are available at all the leading chemists as well as online platforms such as Smart Medical Buyer, India’s leading distributor of medical equipment and supplies.

Types of pregnancy tests

There are two types of pregnancy tests that are performed by the doctors and these include quantitative blood tests and qualitative blood tests.

Quantitative blood tests: These tests are undertaken to determine the progress of the pregnancy by gauging the precise amount of hCG present in the blood.

Qualitative blood tests: This is a simple test which is performed only to check whether the hCG is present. However, this test cannot provide an estimate of gestation.

Urine test

The urine test can be performed either at the nursing home or at one’s own home. If you are performing the tests at home you need to be aware about the process and require the right kind of medical equipment. Otherwise it is recommended that you get the tests done by a qualified doctor. The process is simple and requires you to urinate in a bottle or any other similar substance. Then with the aid of a kit which resembles a home pregnancy test kit the doctor will perform tests on the urine.

Home pregnancy test kits

If you are comfortable with the procedure then you can perform the tests from the comforts of your home. For this you will need a home pregnancy test kit which can be purchased from any reputable chemist.  The kit comes with instructions which will guide you on how to perform the tests. If the tests are done according to the instruction you will get a reading which will be 97 percent to 99 percent accurate. But at-times while performing the tests at home women make a few errors which lead to inaccurate results. The test should be taken at the right time which is mentioned on the instruction manual. However many women do not thoroughly go through the manual and make simple mistakes like testing pregnancy right after the missed period. This will create problems as it will give an inaccurate result.

The right time to take the pregnancy tests

If the pregnancy test is taken at the right time it will give an accurate result. You can do the tests on the day right after the missed period, but for better results wait for a week. Also, do the urine test early in the morning. This is because early in the morning the urine is concentrated and will give a more accurate result as compared to the evening.

Meaning of the results

The physical tests may show different signs like a colour, line or symbol. Digital tests are more specific as they will either show ‘pregnant’ or ‘not pregnant’. The tests will indicate ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ and it is important to be aware about what these two words mean.

Positive: Positive indicates that the person is pregnant and from hereon will be advised by the doctor about the next possible step.

Negative: If you test turns out to be negative, then you are not pregnant, but this may not necessarily be the case. The woman can still be pregnant provide she has not adhered to the instruction manual and the tests have not been performed the way they should have been or if the urine is diluted etc. In case the test is negative, do it again after a few days or meet your doctor.

False-positive results: There is also a third instance when the test will indicate false-positive. Here the tests show positive, which means you are pregnant. But the reality is otherwise. Certain factors like blood or protein in the urine, inaccurate test kit, fertility drugs and other medicines like hypnotics, tranquillizers among others may give the false notion that the woman is pregnant but she is not. However, false-positive results are quite rare.

Taking pregnancy tests at home is quite easy. However, if you are not sure of how to do it or are worried that the results will not be accurate, it is always better to get the tests done from a qualified doctor.