Pregnancy Test and Its Different Types

Pregnancy can be the most beautiful experience. Every woman once in her life aspire to experience it. However, ascertaining pregnancy status can be another battlefield altogether. Some of the early signs and symptoms of pregnancy can be:

• Missed periods
• Fatigue
• Frequent urination
• Nausea vomiting
• Mood swings
• Swelling and soreness in breasts

However, sometimes these signs and symptoms are not enough. Women must go for pregnancy tests and proper clinical guidance to be sure of pregnancy.

How do pregnancy tests work?

Egg fertilizes in fallopian tubes. Once the egg fertilizes, it gets implanted in the uterus and attaches itself to the walls of the uterus. When the fertilized egg enters the uterus and gets attached to the walls of the uterus, the woman’s body starts producing HCG hormone. The full form of the HCG hormone is human chorionic gonadotropin hormone. This hormone is produced by the cells surrounding the embryo in the uterus. The function of this hormone is to maintain corpus luteum and thereby, stimulate the production of progesterone. 

The purpose of pregnancy tests is to check for the presence of HCG hormone in the female body when the female experiences the early signs of pregnancy. The presence of HCG hormone can be confirmed by doing a pregnancy blood test or the urine test.   

What are the three different types of pregnancy tests?

1. Home Pregnancy Test (HPT)

In the home pregnancy tests, there is a stick on which the urine is dropped to check the presence of HCG hormone. If the chemical in the stick changes colour after coming into contact with urine it means that the female’s body is producing HCG hormones and she is pregnant. Home pregnancy tests give accurate results when done after one week of missing periods. However, it is important to get the clinical tests done and show the report to the doctor to confirm pregnancy.

2. Blood test

Although HPTs are accurate most of the time but is advised that the female should get a pregnancy blood test from the lab near her home. There are of two types – qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative test only checks the presence of HCG hormone in the female’s body. Quantitative test, on the other hand, tells the exact level of HCG hormone.

If you wish to know pregnancy blood test cost, you can visit any nearby pathology lab and even a medical facility. You must know that results of pregnancy blood tests can take a day or two to arrive. However, they are more accurate than HPTs.