Pregnancy testing has significantly transformed over past few years that today it’s no more a big deal. For earliest detection of pregnancy, there are many tests available which are not only affordable, but highly sensitive too, hence giving you the most accurate results…

A pregnancy test detects a specific hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which is released by the developing placenta shortly after a woman becomes pregnant. The production of the hormone rapidly increases in the woman’s body after every 24 hours, and can be observed in her circulatory system and urine soon after she conceives. But one should keep in mind that the date of implantation, i.e. when the pregnancy begins, is not same as date of conception. Conception usually takes place within 24 hours of ovulation, whereas implantation takes place six or more days after conception. When the fertilized egg implants in the uterine lining of the womb, then the hCG hormone is secreted by the placenta (tissue surrounding the developing baby), which occurs nearly a week after ovulation.

Concentrations of the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) hormone are measured in milli-International Units (mIU) or amounts equal to 1/1000th of an IU per milliliter. If a woman is pregnant, the concentration of hCG hormone in her body should be 25 mIU at 10 dpo (days past ovulation), 50 mIU at 12 dpo, and 100 mIU at 15 dpo. For earliest detection of pregnancy, this test can be conducted eight days after conception, when the hCG concentration is somewhere between 5 to 10 mIU. Following are the two most commonly used earliest pregnancy tests for pregnancy detection.

Home Urine Pregnancy Test
The home pregnancy test is one of the most commonly used test for the earliest detection of pregnancy. These kits are easy to operate and are readily available in the market. All you have to do is to add few drops of urine in the area provided in the device and then wait for the specified time period to know the results. Home pregnancy test normally detects pregnancy somewhere between the 50 to 100 mIU/hCG level, but there are highly sensitive home pregnancy tests that can detect hCG levels at 20 mIU, i.e. eight days after implantation of the fertilized egg. To get optimum results, one should do this test first thing in the morning as the first morning urine contains the most concentrated amount of the hCG hormone. If this is not possible, another way is to avoid urination for several hours before using the pregnancy test, as frequent urination can reduce the concentration of the hCG hormone in the urine, and will somehow interrupt in early pregnancy detection. If you observe a faint line in comparison to the control line, the test can be positive, even though the concentration of hCG hormone in the urine may be low. In some cases, where a faint test color band is present, it is recommended to conduct the test again after one or two days to confirm the result. If you follow all instructions carefully, and interpret the results correctly, home pregnancy tests are up to 97% accurate.

Blood Pregnancy Test
The blood test used to detect a pregnancy is known as ‘Beta HCG’. The test is highly accurate and shows positive pregnancy results 8 to 12 days after conception. It is capable of determining pregnancy with levels as low as 5 to 10 mIU/hCG. This test is highly helpful in detecting a pregnancy at a very early stage, especially for women who are suffering from other health related problems like diabetes or epilepsy, as it will help them in taking necessary decisions regarding their medications and treatment to avoid any future complications.

Though missing a period, morning sickness, etc. have always been considered as some of the earliest possible signs of pregnancy, they are not reliable pregnancy symptoms to confirm a pregnancy. Therefore, the tests for earliest detection of pregnancy are reliable, economical, and capable of giving optimum and accurate results. Always remember conducting a test too early can give you a negative result but that doesn’t mean you are not pregnant. Hence, give some time, i.e. one or two days for the hormone to rise to an sufficient level and then conduct the test again.