Figuring out whether or not your pregnant isn’t always as easy as noticing a missed period or feeling nauseous out-of-nowhere. Fortunately, there are many tests available to help determine if you’re expecting so you can take the necessary steps with your doctor. If you think you may be pregnant or are trying to become pregnant, here are the three standard testing options, how they work, and what level of accuracy they offer.

How to Determine Pregnancy

1. Home Pregnancy Test

Home pregnancy tests can be purchased at a drugstore. These products typically resemble long sticks that feature an application area. They work by checking urine for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)—a hormone that females produce after a fertilized egg is present within the uterus.

To take this test, follow the product instructions on how to apply urine—such as by dipping the stick into a sample or by urinating directly over it. Within a few minutes, your results should be revealed.

However, the appearance of the results can vary. For example, products may feature a + sign for pregnant and a - sign for not pregnant, while others may have digital screens that display the results.

Although this option offers high accuracy, there is a lot of room for user error. For this reason, it’s always best to follow up with a health care provider to confirm the results.

2. Clinical Urine Test

Similar to home tests, clinical urinalysis is used to detect the presence of hCG. However, this method involves taking a urine sample in the doctor’s office. Since trained lab technicians are handling the sample, these results can confirm with greater accuracy whether or not you’re pregnant.

However, this option can still present a slight risk of error. For example, some may present a false negative even though you’re pregnant simply because the concentration of hCG is too high, the urine is too diluted, or it’s too early in the pregnancy.

3.  Blood Tests

If a doctor suspects an incorrect result from a urine test, they may follow up with a blood test. This method involves examining a blood sample for the presence of hCG. This option can be used about 11 days after conception.

Qualitative methods simply determine if you are pregnant or not by detecting hCG. Quantitative methods provide details on hCG levels, which may be useful in determining how far along you are or if there are potential concerns with the pregnancy.

Waiting to find out if you’re pregnant can be stressful. That’s why Peninsula Community Health Services is dedicated to providing swift and convenient pregnancy testing in Soldotna, AK. Depending on your specific needs, these caring doctors will determine which method is right for your situation. After discussing your results, you can rely on this health care clinic to provide services to continue your care. To learn more about their women’s health resources, visit this provider online. For appointments, call (907) 262-3119.