Pregnant or Not? How To Know

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Medical Author: Melissa Stoppler, M.D.
Medical Editor: Barbara K. Hecht, Ph.D.
To learn whether you are pregnant or not, a pregnancy test may provide you with the answer. This test can be done in the privacy of your home using one of several available test kits. Or the test can be performed in your doctor's office or clinic. Home pregnancy tests are always done on urine while those in a doctor's office or clinic may be done on urine or blood.
All pregnancy tests are based upon measurement of the same hormone -- human chorionic gonadotrophin or hCG -- which is only present in a woman when she is pregnant. This hormone is made after the egg is fertilized and its levels rise rapidly in early pregnancy. It acts to support progesterone, a hormone necessary to maintain the pregnancy.
Most home pregnancy tests are done because of a missed period. If a woman has regular menstrual cycles, a home test can be very informative. It can tell whether or not there is a pregnancy as early as the first day of the missed period (which is about two weeks after conception).
Manufacturers of home test kits claim that their kits are 97%-99% accurate, but the sensitivities of different test kits depend on the levels of hCG in the urine required for a positive result. If your test result is positive, see your healthcare provider promptly.
Sometimes a home test is negative if the test is done too early because there may not yet be enough hCG to test positive. If you believe you may be pregnant but your home test kit result is negative, you should always test again, either on the following day or within the following week. Some home test kits come with supplies for two separate tests. Repeat testing is recommended in all such cases.
Urine hCG tests are qualitative because they only detect hCG levels above a certain level. These tests are used when it is enough to know simply whether you are pregnant or not.
By contrast, blood hCG tests are quantitative because they measure the exact amount of hCG. These tests are more sensitive and can tell if you are pregnant even before you miss a period (as early as one week after conception).
Your doctor may also want to know the exact amount of hCG in order to evaluate the progression of your pregnancy. This can help determine the age of a fetus and identify problems with a pregnancy. In very rare cases, tumors or other conditions can result in the production of hCG and lead to false positive pregnancy test results. Your doctor can explain more about the significance of hCG levels as they apply to your specific situation.
Taking a drug containing hCG can, not surprisingly, can cause a false positive test result. While alcohol and illegal drugs do not affect pregnancy test results, remember that you should NOT drink alcohol or use illegal drugs if there is any possibility you could become pregnant.
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