Pregnancy test strips are the way to detect your pregnancy as soon as 6-8 days after conception. Detecting your pregnancy earlier can help you to start your prenatal care thus allowing the healthy growth of the baby.
Pregnancy test strips can effectively detect the hCG hormone, secreted by the growing placenta immediately after fertilization. The levels of the hormone are 20miu/ml or higher. Here is the step-by-step procedure on how to use the pregnancy test strips:
- Initially collect your urine sample in a small bowl. Then open the pack and take out the test set.
2. Make sure that you collect the early morning urine specimen to get accurate results as it holds higher hCG levels. Even you can use the urine sample at any time of the day but early morning sample can give the best results.
3. Then hold the strips vertically to ensure the arrows are facing down i.e. into the urine sample.
4. Then carefully insert the strips in the urine specimen for at least 3 seconds.
5. Then lay the strips on the smooth surface and check for any colored bands to appear. The time required to show the result will greatly depend on the levels of hCG hormone in your urine sample. The positive test result can be noticed within 50 seconds, but for the confirmation of negative result, you have to wait for at least 2-3 minutes.
6. Prior to going to read the test outcome, you should be perfect about the indicate reaction time period. This time period varies from one test to another and it should be followed based on the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Why you can consider pregnancy test strips?
- It is the cheapest and most affordable way of the pregnancy test.
- These are the same tests used by the doctors in the clinics.
- As they are lightweight, they cost less for shipping and are easy to store.
- The results of the test are 99% accurate.
How to interpret the results with pregnancy test strips?
Positive pregnancy test: If you notice distinct colors on the test and control regions, then the test result is positive. The color of the test band may vary because the concentration of the hCG hormone is different at different stages of pregnancy.
Negative pregnancy test: If there is only one color band that appears in the control region and no band in the test region, then it is a negative pregnancy test.
Invalid pregnancy test: If you don’t notice any colored band in the test or control regions, then it is an invalid test. The invalid test result is due to various reasons, such as failed to perform the procedure correctly or added insufficient urine sample. You need to use the new kit to confirm your pregnancy.
