7 questions about pregnancy tests
How do the tests of pregnancy ?
The tests of pregnancies detect the hormone chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG). A hormone necessary for the proper implantation of the egg cell on the uterine wall. It is present in the blood and urine of women pregnant as early as eight days after fertilization.
What types of pregnancy tests do they exist?
There are three types of tests of pregnancy. The urine test that can be freely obtained in pharmacies, the blood test prescribed by a doctor but also the salivary test less known because not marketed in France.
When to practice a test pregnancy ?
For the urine test, it is best to wait ten days after the presumed fertilization or a few days after the expected date of return of the rules. Rather, take the test in the morning as this is the time when urine is most concentrated and the presence of chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) hormones is more easily detectable. But you can also practice the urine test at another time of the day provided you do not drink too much so as not to dilute your HCG.
How to perform a pregnancy test?
Just drop a few drops of urine on your test or take a little saliva with a stick provided (depending on the type of test chosen) and then wait a few minutes. A sign will appear a few minutes later indicating if you are pregnant or not. The blood test is done in the laboratory.
Are all pregnancy tests as reliable?
If used correctly, a urine test has a 99% reliability. Easier to use, the salivary test is also the one that is the least reliable with a rate of 98%. The blood test is by far the safest since its reliability rate is 100%. This is why urinary and salivary tests must be confirmed by a blood test.
Are there any factors leading to false results in pregnancy ?
Taking some neuroleptic drugs or the presence of blood in the urine can give a false positive in the case of a urine test of pregnancy. Conversely, if you have drunk a lot of water, have a urinary tract infection, or have pregnancy ectopic, the results of the urine test may be false negatives.
If in doubt, it is best to repeat a test three days later.
How much do the tests cost pregnancy ?
The test of pregnancy blood has a price of about 15-20 euros. If you have a medical prescription, it is reimbursed by Social Security. Urine tests are available without prescription in pharmacy. They cost between 2.50 and 20 euros each. Saliva test is more expensive. Count between 20 and 30 euros. It is only available on foreign online sales sites. Be careful, check that these tests bear the CE mark guaranteeing their good compliance.
