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One of the most important things to know if you are confused about when you should take a home pregnancy test is that you are more likely to get a negative result if it’s done too early.
How Does a Pregnancy Test Work?
Before going further, it will be helpful for you to understand how a pregnancy test works in order to know when to take one.
Pregnancy tests are made to detect human chorionic gonadotropin or the hCG hormone in the urine or blood. This is a pregnancy hormone that’s produced once a fertilized egg is attached to the uterus wall, usually starting around six days after the egg fertilization.
The hCG levels will continue to increase rapidly if you are pregnant, doubling every two to three days.
It is important to mention that there are some tests that are able to detect hyperglycosylated hCG or H-hCG, a variation of the hCG hormone.
The regular hCG is only produced after an embryo is implanted in the endometrium, while H-hCG is released earlier at some point right after fertilization.
When Should You Take a Home Pregnancy Test
You can get the most accurate result if you wait at least one week after missing your period. In addition, the result might be even more accurate if the test is done first in the morning as the urine is far more concentrated at this time. The urine-based home pregnancy tests offer about 97% accuracy.
This accuracy will depend on several factors such as how early the test is taken, if the instructions were followed closely, when ovulation occurred in the cycle, how early implantation takes place, and how sensitive the test is.
It is always best to take a pregnancy test after a late period to avoid false positive or false negative results.
If you have irregular cycles or you are not charting your cycles, it might best to take the test after passing the longest menstrual cycle.
For example, if your cycles are in the range of 30 to 36 days, it would be best to take the test at around 37 days after your last period or later.
Another thing to know is that you should not take the pregnancy test if you are using some fertility medication. An early test can detect the remnants of the medication [1].
How Soon After Sex Can You Take a Pregnancy Test?
Many women take a pregnancy test right after they have sex. This is actually a huge mistake because, as mentioned above, the levels of hCG in the body can be detected several days after the fertilized egg has been implanted in the uterus.
By taking the pregnancy test too early, it can result in a false-negative result and make you believe that you’re not pregnant.
So when is the right time to take a pregnancy test after having unprotected sex? According to experts, you can take the test 10 to 14 days after having intercourse since, during this time, the hCG levels in your body are already high enough to be detected.
Many home pregnancy test kits will include this fact in their instructions to ensure that users will get accurate results.
However, this 10-to-14 day time frame is only the minimum. If you’re not in a hurry, it’s advisable to wait for a longer time before you take a home pregnancy test.
Many experts recommend that you take the test 21 days after having unprotected sex for more accurate results [2].
This might seem like a long time to wait, particularly if you’re eager to get pregnant and want to know if you’ve conceived ASAP. But it’s important to note that conception doesn’t always happen right after you have sex.
Remember: sperm can live inside your body for up to five days, which means that fertilization can take place up to five days after you had intercourse. So, if you have sex a few days before ovulation, it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly when you conceived.
If the actual conception happened a few days after you had sex, but you decide to take a pregnancy test exactly 10 days after your intercourse, your body might not yet have produced enough hCG levels for the test to detect.
This might mean that you’ll get a negative result — even though fertilization did happen and your egg has implanted (or is about to implant) in your uterus.
So, to get accurate results, it’s best to wait for three weeks after having intercourse before you use a pregnancy test kit.
This is also the reason why you shouldn’t hesitate to take another pregnancy test even if you’ve already taken one.
If you get a negative result but genuinely believe that you are pregnant, take another pregnancy test around a week after you took the initial test.
By this time, fertilization and implantation might have already taken place, which means that the hCG levels are high enough for you to get an accurate reading.
If you get a negative pregnancy test few days after positive urine pregnancy test, you may have experienced a phenomenon called Chemical Pregnancy that accounts of 50-75% of all miscarriages. [3]
If you can’t wait for three weeks, you can visit your doctor and ask for a blood pregnancy test.
This test detects pregnancy earlier than urine-based home pregnancy tests since hCG appears earlier in the mother’s blood than in her urine.
You can take the blood pregnancy test at least eight days after you had unprotected sex [4] although, just like with home pregnancy tests, you can get more accurate results if you wait a few days longer after having intercourse.
Blood tests can detect pregnancies earlier than urine test because these tests can detect hCG levels as low as 1 mIU/mL, while urine test strips have published detection thresholds of 10 mIU/mL to 100 mIU/mL, depending on the brand. [5]
How Should You Take a Home Pregnancy Test?
Now that you have an idea as to when you should take a home pregnancy test, you need to know how to use it.
The home pregnancy tests are easy and quick to use. Once the instructions are followed carefully you will get accurate results.
They are all made to work in the same way. You’d use one of these ways to test your urine:
- Collect some urine inside a cup and then use a dropper to place it in another container.
- Collect some urine inside a cup and dip the pregnancy test stick in it.
- Hold the pregnancy test stick under your urine stream.
For all of these techniques, you’ll have to wait several minutes to see the results. The results can show as a color, line or symbol. Some digital tests will say not pregnant or pregnant.
What is The Meaning of the Pregnancy Test Results?
When you do the test and the result is positive, this means you are pregnant. Bear in mind that this will be the case, regardless of the faintness of the color, line or sign.
It would be a good idea to contact your doctor in order to know what will come next if you get a positive result.
A negative result will mean that you are not pregnant. Nevertheless, you could still be pregnant in cases where the test is taken incorrectly, the test stick is expired, the test is done too soon, you are using certain medications like antihistamines or diuretics, and large amounts of liquid is consumed immediately before the test (which dilutes the urine).
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You could try retesting about one week after getting a negative result to get a more solid confirmation. There are some home-based pregnancy tests that will suggest this no matter the results.
Although this only happens in rare cases, a pregnancy test can give a false-positive. This means the test is saying you are pregnant, but you are not.
You could get this result if your urine contains protein or blood and if you are using certain drugs such as anti-convulsants or tranquilizers.
When you are ready to take a home pregnancy test, you can buy it without a prescription at the drugstore, or online on Amazon.
Be sure to contact your doctor if you have questions pertaining to the pregnancy test or results.
References
- https://www.verywellfamily.com/can-my-medicine-effect-my-pregnancy-test-results-2759855
- https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/ureport/story/2001287100/how-soon-after-having-sex-you-can-take-a-pregnancy-test-and-how-accurate-the-results-will-be
- Chemical pregnancy facts: https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/chemical-pregnancy
- https://www.babymed.com/normal-hcg-blood-level-by-week-during-pregnancy
- Waddell, Rebecca Smith (2006). “FertilityPlus.org”. Home Pregnancy Test hCG Levels and FAQ. Archived from the original on 2006-06-15. Retrieved 2006-06-17.
Hello, I had unprotected sex on March 4, 2018 and my period came down on March 11, 2018. Can I still be pregnant?
Hi Diana, if you had a period you are most likely not pregnant.
HELLO, MY last day period is February 25, when is mt my next period come, im having February to MARCH 4?
HI Jasmine, if you have a 28 day cycle, your period should be around the 25th of March. You can check out the calculator at the following link: https://womanjunction.com
Hi my last period was on 23 feb on the 11th started bleeding very light pink blood to a redish brown by om and off By the 13th no blood lower abdomenal pain very light cramp pinching pain in my breat could i be pregnant
Hi Siphe, that could have been ovulation bleeding. I would check the calculator at the link below to determine when you are fertile and ovulating and when you are due for your period. If you don’t get your period by the 30th, then I would take a pregnancy test, but this most likely sounds like you were ovulating at that time. https://womanjunction.com
Hi
Hello, My Last Period date is 9th january 2018, i check Blood Pregnancy on 22nd February, But Negative result, and again i Check Blood Pregancy Test on 14th March, its positive result, so now Im how many days Pregnent ?
Hi Sindhu, did you have a period in the midst of those? THey would consider you roughly 2 months pregnant if you didn’t have a February period, however the only way to tell for sure is with the ultrasound that you will get at the doctor.
I think all of you ladies should wait for next period, not the one due on the same month after having sex because our bodies are different and hcg is still very low if you immediately take the home pregnancy test. So for accurate results wait a month later.
Hi Bee, unfortunatly you are incorrect in your thinking. You only have to wait for your next missed period and 7 days if you are nervous to determine pregnancy, there is no need to wait until your second missed period to determine pregnancy.
I do understand that but hence I have mentioned “our bodies are different and hcg is still very low if you immediately take the home pregnancy test. So for accurate results wait a month later.”
My story is I had sex on the 15th February, 22nd February I spotted light pink instead of getting my period 7days later I took my first home pregnancy test – it came out negative. I took another one on the 5th of March it came out negative AGAIN… I have regular periods my cyle is 23days, was supposed to get my period on the 16th of March but still no period.
I had unprotected intercourse on March 1st and second of this year. Both were cycle days 5&6. Period is due the 23rd and I’m currently on cycle day 17. I’ve been cramping, have heartburn and my breasts are ultra sensitive plus I had an intense night sweat the night before. I feel like I’m overreacting but not sure testing would be smart at this point as I’m probably experiencing pms symptoms. I’ve been pregnant before six years ago and that ended in a miscarriage but I’m unsure of the symptoms since it was so long ago. Would taking a test Matter at this point?
Hi Rose, Well testing at this point if you aren’t due until the 23rd could and most likely would result in a false negative if you are indeed pregnant. I would wait until after you miss you period. Generally we say at least 5-7 days after the missed period but at least get there first. Everyone’s symptoms are different and PMS and pregnancy symptoms overlap a lot. Good luck!
Vanesa
Pls I need help. I had sex on the 2nd of march 2018. My next period was to start on the 8th of march but it did not. Does it mean am pregnant? pls help me
Hi Vanesa, Generally you wouldn’t get pregnant 6 days before your period unless you ovulate irregularly. Have you taken a pregnancy test?
Hello I have irregular periods and I used the ovulation tests and was able to detect my LH surge and 2 days later by breasts were hurting and I’m having colostrum coming out of them and then 3 days later I was really wet down there and when I was cleaning myself I spotted pink color and then I was cramping on the lower part abdomen and I took a test and it’s negative I think it’s too early for me to test can anyone help
Hi Jessica, you have to wait at least two weeks to take a pregnancy test after you’ve ovulated. Most mommy boards use the acronym TWW for that time frame. I would wait to take a test until about a week after your expected period if you are late.
I had sex on Feb. 23,2018 This will be my 4th child IF I’m pregnant.. Surely by now, I know how it feels, when pregnant, but it been 7.5 years since I been.. I feel like my mind is playing tricks on me.. 2/3 days later, I start feeling sick. 10 days later, my breast started to hurt.. I’m brushing every symptom off bc I don’t want my feelings hurt in the end. I have abnormal period. Sometimes i can have a period every 21 days, one time I had a period twice in one month. January my period came on the 1st, Came On again the 31st of January. February it came on the 12th to the 16th. Had sex a week later the 23rd. No period yet but a month will be around the 12th but since it was 28th days in February, maybe the 14th.. What day should I test? It’s driving me insane. Took one today.. Negative.. I just want to know
Hello Tee, the most accurate time to test for pregnancy is 7 days after a missed period.
Hello. I am Kavia please help me. I am confused my last period first day 6 feb. and I had sex on my ovulation time 15 to 19 feb I took a test on 4th march that time it was negative. And today is 6th of march and my period has not come yet. Can I test again now or do I have to wait some days. Please reply to me.
Hello Kavia, retest for pregnancy 7 days after your missed period.
This sounds alot like whats going with me. Im 8 days almost 9 days late. Me and my husband were intimate several times during ovulation before and after. Ive gotten 4 negatives because I didnt know to wait to take the test. But now that I know. Thanks to my mom and aunt telling me I have to wait until the 16 to take my test. I freaked out after missing because im super regular with my cycle and ive never had any pregnancy scares before or anything of it because ive only been married 3 months and me and him are both traditional. So i was in ahurry and scared out of my mind. So now its just a waiting game
hi i had sex before 2 month after 1 month i feel i am pregnant then i take medicine and i get bleeding for 3 days after getting bleeding its 1 month pass but i didn’t get my period yet can you help me what happened?
HI Rinku, Unfortunatly your question doesn’t make much sense to me. But if you have’t gotten your period and it’s late by a week, I would take a pregnancy test if that is your question.
The first day of my last period was February 1, 2018 and had intercourse on the 9th and 14th . I feel that i have all the symptoms of being pregnant. Took PT on the 19th, 21st and 26th all came out negative. Is it ok to go for a pregnancy blood test on the 1st of march?
Hello Arlene, yes you can do that.
Did you end up pregnant? I too had my period feb 1 2018 and haven’t had a period this month, I am 5 days late and had sex feb 13th,14th and 17th took pt and it’s negative
We have the exact dates lol but did u take another test and what was the results. I get nauseated and I’m always sleeping and I had negative results
Ha I am arthi my last period on 28/12/17 and it was over on 1/1/18, duration 5 days. I’ve had an irregular period problem for some time. I got married 7 months ago. I took the home pregnancy test on 17/2/18. It was negative. I feel bad and also checked my pcod is normal no thyroid and my ovary size is normal. What is my problem? I do not know if you give any suggestions for me.
Hi Arthi, If you are trying to get pregnant, having irregular periods can be a bit of a hassle. You don’t know when you are ovulating becuase it isn’t on a regular schedule. Becuase you can’t reliably track on an app when you would be ovulating I would recommend getting some ovulation tests. You can get them pretty cheap in bulk online. OR you can go to the store and get the ones that are digital, track to your phone, etc. THey can help you determine when the best time for having intercourse with your husband is. If that doens’t work I would recommend discussing options with your doctor. There are medications that help with stimulating the body to ovulate, thereby making it easier to conceive. Good Luck!
I had sex three days after my periods, could I be pregnant cause by boobs are full
Hello 🙂 I just got off Mirena ( Jan 3) & Had a bad period on Feb 2- 6) Had intercourse same day and a few days later. We are trying for baby number 3 & just wondering when the best time is to take a at home test. I know they usualy tell you to wait till your period is due but we cant wait lol .Thank you.
Hi Jess, if you are eager you can go ahead and test now. However pregnancy tests are more accurate when taken 7 days after a missed period.
Okay need help my first day of my last period was the 26th when I had my implant removed I had sex on the 3rd of February I deffo feel pregnant but had no positives yet? How long do I have to wait as I’m not sure when I’m due on again?! Help me!
Hello Molly, 7 days after a missed period is the best time to test for pregnancy.