If you have missed a period and recently had unprotected sex, you may be pregnant. Pregnancy tests are most reliable from the first day of your missed period. You can carry out most pregnancy tests from the first day of a missed period. If you don't know when your next period is due, do the test at least 21 days after you last had unprotected sex. Some very sensitive pregnancy tests can be used even before you miss a period. You can do a pregnancy test on a sample of urine collected at any time of the day. It doesn't have to be in the morning. You can buy pregnancy testing kits from pharmacists and some supermarkets. They can give a quick result and you can do the
test in private. The following places provide free pregnancy tests: You may also be able to get a pregnancy test free of charge from your GP. All pregnancy tests detect the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), which starts to be produced around 6 days after fertilisation. Most
pregnancy tests come in a box that contains 1 or 2 long sticks. You pee on the stick and the result appears on the stick after a few minutes. All tests are slightly different, so always check the instructions. Home pregnancy tests are accurate as long as you follow the instructions correctly. A positive test result is almost certainly correct. However, a negative
test result is less reliable. The result may not be reliable if you:
Some medicines can also affect the results. If you get a negative result and still think you're pregnant, wait a few days and try again. Speak to your GP if you get a negative result after a second test but your period has not arrived. Continuing with the pregnancyIf you're pregnant and want to continue with the pregnancy, contact your GP or a midwife to start your antenatal care. You can use the pregnancy due date calculator to work out when your baby is due. If you're not sure you want to be pregnantIf you're not sure about continuing with the pregnancy, you can discuss this confidentially with a healthcare professional. Your options are:
As well as a GP or a nurse at your GP surgery, you can also get accurate, confidential information – from the age of 13 – from the following:
All these services – including community contraceptive clinics – are confidential. If you're 13 or older, the staff won't tell your parents. They'll encourage you to talk to your parents, but they won't force you. If you're under 25 and would prefer advice specifically for young people, the sexual health charity Brook provides a range of services for young people. The Brook website contains information on pregnancy choices. You can also use the Ask Brook 24/7 service. Video: Is the pregnancy test accurate?In this video, a midwife explains when you can take a pregnancy test and how to do it properly. Media last reviewed: 5 February 2020
Since the earliest recorded history, women have had a strong desire to know whether they are pregnant as early as possible. The body goes through countless changes in the first trimester, and one of the first indicators is a change in the hormones that leave the body through urine. Ancient Egyptians relied on a form of urine testing to determine pregnancy status way back in 1350 BCE. A woman urinated daily on wheat or barley seeds and if the plants grew, it meant she was pregnant. Modern-day validation suggests that test was about 70% accurate in detecting human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone produced by a woman’s body soon after implantation of a fertilized egg inside the uterus. Thankfully, urine-based pregnancy tests have evolved substantially. Women now have access to advanced tests that can detect a pregnancy as early as eight days after ovulation. But while many home pregnancy tests are marketed as simple and effective, getting accurate results comes down to how early in your ovulation cycle you take the test. Ovulation generally occurs around day 15 of a 28-day cycle. In a normal pregnancy, an egg is fertilized in the fallopian tube and then travels into the uterus, where it implants in the uterine wall. After implantation, production of hCG starts from cells in the developing placenta (tissue that will feed the fetus). Trace levels of hCG can be detected as early as eight days after ovulation. That means you could get positive results several days before you expect your period to start. However, the first part of your cycle is more variable than the second, making it tricky to determine the best time for an early test.
When to take a home pregnancy testThe length of time from the first day of a period to ovulation can vary by several days from month to month. Sexual activity around ovulation leads to the possibility of fertilization of an released egg by sperm. But even then, the time frame for a fertilized egg to implant can vary. And hCG isn’t produced until after implantation has occurred. For the most accurate results, we recommend testing in the morning on the day you expect your period to start. This allows for variability in the timing of ovulation, fertilization, and implantation. Testing in the morning provides a more concentrated urine sample. Follow the directions carefully to get the best results. Before you take the test, make sure you understand what the readout for “pregnant” and “not pregnant” will be. Some tests still use two lines to indicate you are pregnant and one to indicate that you aren’t. However, many tests have switched to words such as “yes” and “no”, or “pregnant” and “not pregnant” for additional clarity. Related reading: Is it OK to use a hot tub during early pregnancy? Pregnancy test accuracyEach type of pregnancy test is designed to detect a set minimum level of hCG. This is why pregnancy test manufacturers advertise the way they do: “Know four days sooner,” or “Accurate up to six days before a missed period.” However, while home pregnancy tests are quite accurate – many boast a 99% detection rate based on laboratory testing results – marketing claims can be misleading. For example, a 99% detection rate means a test can detect hCG 99% of the time on the day you miss your period. These statistics also assume that women are testing at the optimal time and following all instructions correctly. Many home pregnancy tests available today are midstream urine dip tests, which are the traditional “pee-on-a-stick” tests and are fairly easy to use. There also are tests in which you pee into a cup and dip a test strip into the urine. The New York Times published a story ranking the best home pregnancy tests, citing a midstream test with an ergonomic grip as the easiest to use and most accurate. Research has shown that average test results when women used the dip tests matched lab test results just 70% of the time, whereas 99% of women typically can get an accurate reading from a midstream test. False positive and negative resultsWhen a test result is inaccurate, it’s either a false negative (the test says you are not pregnant, but you are) or a false positive (the test says you are pregnant, but you aren’t). Several factors can cause false negative results:
Sometimes an egg will implant briefly but will not be sustained. This is also called a chemical pregnancy – hCG is produced, but the pregnancy doesn’t continue. A test performed several days before an expected period can show a positive result, but the woman still gets her period soon or on time. Rarely, certain tumors can produce hCG, causing a pregnancy test to be positive even when a woman is not pregnant. Related reading: It's not your fault: Understanding miscarriage When to see a doctorMost women who have a positive pregnancy test should wait a week or two before calling the Ob/Gyn office for a pregnancy blood test or ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy. We suggest waiting because the rate of early pregnancy loss is high, and it’s possible that you might have had a chemical pregnancy. However, women with a history of ectopic pregnancy or current abdominal pain should call the doctor right away to be examined. Ectopic pregnancies implant outside of the uterus and produce hCG, resulting in positive pregnancy tests. However, these pregnancies can cause abdominal bleeding and prompt medical care is necessary. Women who have congenital heart defects or other chronic physical or mental health conditions should also see a doctor right away because treatment plans or medications might need to be altered to protect the woman and the fetus. Advances in home pregnancy tests give women greater insight into what’s going on in their bodies sooner than ever before. No matter what your childbearing plans might be, it’s essential to get quick, accurate results at home to plan your next steps accordingly. To visit with an Ob/Gyn, call 214-645-8300 or request an appointment online.
How accurate are pregnancy tests 4 days before?(For example, the Clearblue Early Detection Pregnancy Test claims more than 99 percent accuracy if you test the day of your expected period or one, two or three days before; 96 percent accuracy four days before; and 79 percent five days before.
Can I test positive 4 days before my missed period?Trace levels of hCG can be detected as early as eight days after ovulation. That means you could get positive results several days before you expect your period to start.
Is it possible to get a negative pregnancy test 4 days before missed period?If you take a pregnancy test before you have missed your period, you increase your chances of getting a false negative result. This means the test will read negative when you actually are pregnant, so experts recommend waiting until you have already missed your period to prevent false-negative test results.
How accurate is a pregnancy test 5 days before period?In laboratory testing, FIRST RESPONSE™ detected the pregnancy hormone levels in 76% of pregnant women, 5 days before their expected period; in 96% of pregnant women, 4 days before their expected period; in >99% of pregnant women, 3 days before their expected period; in >99% of pregnant women, 2 days before their ...
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How accurate is pregnancy test 4 days before period
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