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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.
hi i had my last periods on june 24 usually its a 30 day cycle for me, never skipped. i had very light spotting brown on one day then light pink on next around 16 july. i have got frequent urination too. my question is when is the best time to have a sure pregnancy test? i did it at home on 18 july ( too early)& it was negative. is there any chance of pregnancy?
Sounds like you had the implantation bleed. I would take another test, a week after your period is due. If still negative and no period you can get a more accurate blood test at the gp’s – I have two and neither of them came up on a home pregnancy test until I was 3 months pregnant – don’t know why
My cycle is irregular but the last day was July 1st, I had sex on July 7th can I safely take a test or should I wait?
Hello, you should take a test.
I took a test and the results say irregular what does that mean?
hi my name is Dorcas
I had my last period on 19 June and am yet to have another and since my last period I haven’t had sex. what could be the problem?
pls reply I need your help. thanks
Hi Dorcas, you will get your period soon. It is normal to have 2-3 days fluctuations in your menstrual cycle.
Hi my name is sheila
I had unprotected sex on July 4 my lmp was June 26. Is it to early to do a pregnancy test? Any chance I may be pregnant?
Hi Sheila,
A pregnancy test can be done after 2 weeks of a missed period so it is ok to do a pregnancy test now to ascertain if you are pregnant.
I have irregular periods and having a hard time getting pregnant. My husband came back from deployment on June 5th 2016 and we have been having unprotected sex since the 5th of June. I took a test 2 weeks after and it was negative. I don’t know if I should take another one. Its hard to tell because of the irregular periods. I did have a little spotting about 2 maybe 3 weeks ago during and after sex. Not sure if that was my period or not because it only lasted one day. Today I felt like I have to vomit but I cant get it out. Other than that I don’t see any signs of pregnancy, but still no period. Should I test again? And if negative, what can I do to rapidly get us pregnant?
Hi,
You may want to visit your medical professional who can do a blood test to find out if you are pregnant. If it is negative, you may also want to discuss with him a program that can help you to get pregnant.
Hi, my periods are very irregular and I never knew my dates. I have 2 children and neither of them showed up on home pregnancy tests until I was 3 month pregnant (I could also go between periods for that long). I ended up going to the doctors due to feeling exhausted (I have an under active thyroid) so he took a blood test and test for pregnancy as well which came back positive – I knew I was pregnant with the second when I felt the exhaustion again and my meds needed adjusting.
If I was you I would leave it the maximum time (your longest cycle) take a test the day after and if negative but no period ask for a blood test.
Also to give us the best chance of conceiving, we tried to have intercourse every other day. – best of look x
Hi my last period was from 20th til 24th June, I have since then already taken 2 clearblue digital test that were both negative. Is there a possibility that I could still be pregnant? My next period is due this Monday (Saturday today)!
Hi,
Some women become fertile days after their period, depending on their cycles. It is however to early to ascertain whether or not you are really pregnant.I you miss your period on Monday, you can do the test 2 weeks after to be certain.
Hi
My cycle is usually of exact 28 days but since I had miscarriage on 13th Feb, my cycle got altered.
I got my last period on 16th June and indulged in intercourse from 24th to 3rd July as advised by my doctor.
I underwent upt on 9th July 11th July and 12th July. On 11th a very very faint line appeared and no line on other two tests.
What could it be???
Please help
Could it be hormones still in your body from the miscarriage?
I would do another test if still no period, It can take a while for your body to get back to normal after a miscarriage though x
Best of luck xx
Hi my name is Hannah- I have a average cycle of 13 days. My last period is 17th June to the 23rd June. It’s the longer period I had for a bit and it was light then got heavy then just stopped. My ovulation day was the 28th June I had unprotected sex that day 1st 2nd &3rd of July. But according to my chart I was meant to have had a period on the 30th of June to the 3rd of July. Do this mean i could be pregnant because I’ve done 3 tests and all negative?
Since your last period was the 17th of June then your next period should be around July 15th. A negative result can mean that you are not pregnant or that you took the test too early. Keep in mind that pregnancy tests vary in their sensitivity (meaning how early they can detect the hormone hCG), and you may not have given your body enough time to produce enough concentration of the hCG hormone to show up on the test.
When taking a test it is best to follow the recommendations of the manufacturer and wait until you have missed a period before taking the test. Some women show up accurately on a test the day they miss a period, while others may not show up positive until 3-4 weeks after a missed period. In case the result is negative, wait a week and test again if a normal period has not started.
Hello my last period was June 3. I have a 34 days circle which is irregular with 2 to 3 Days, my last period was June 3 – 7.I had sex with my husband 8-15,17,19,20,21,23,24,25 which were my fertile days, I haven’t see seen for July and my nipple really hurt when can I take a pregnancy test?
Hi, ideally a pregnancy test should be taken after 10 days of missed period date. So you can take a test accordingly.
Hello my name is prue. I have been nauseous for a while now. This mostly occurs before and after I eat, I have lost my appetite for a week and got it back yesterday. My period was two days late, it came the June 22-27th. I had unprotected sex on the June 18th. I started to get clear bloody discharge with mild cramps on the 4th and it lasted till the 6th. once in a while i still get mild cramps and also bloated. Should i take a test? Because from what i read it said you cant get pregnant if i had my period.
If you got your regular period in accordance to your period calculator this would indicate that you’re not pregnant. If you noticed bleeding some time after unprotected sex and not on the days when your regular period should appear then this could be implantation bleeding. In that case it could be that you’re pregnant and we’d recommend that you take a pregnancy test.
You can read this post to learn more about how to recognize the difference between a period and implantation bleeding.
Hi,
My first day of my last period was 25th May 2016. Had intercourse with my partner on 18th June 2016. Was due to get my periods on the 29th June 2016 but still haven’t come. I have tender breasts, Darker nipples, have been discharging a lot and getting headaches. Have taken 3 test but all negative. Am I testing to early??
Thanks
Hi Alisha,
A negative result can mean that you are not pregnant or that you took the test too early. Pregnancy tests fluctuate in their sensitivity (meaning how soon they can detect the hCG hormone), and you may not have given your body enough time to produce enough of the hCG hormone to show up on the test.
Some women show up accurately on a test the day they miss a period, while others may not show up positive until 3-4 weeks after a missed period. If the result is negative, I’d suggest that you wait one week and test again in case a normal period has not started.
I got my period on may 25th 2016 I spotted on June 18th for a couple days. I have missed my period for the month of June.. when can I test and get a true result? Tia
Hi, spotting could be a sign of pregnancy. Take a pregnancy test 10 days after your missed period date to check.
I was just wanting to know.. can you have a lot of unprotected sex before your cyle kinda close to it. Get your cycle. But still become pregnant even tho u just had your cycle. If that makes sense?
Hi if you have had your period then you cannot be pregnant.
Hello my name is tiara Smith I had my iui on june10,2016 and my hcg shot on June 09,2016 I Just started taking progesterone June 13,2016. my Dr told me to test June 24,2016 but I really wanna know how soon can I take one?
Hi Tiara, HCG traces my remain for around 14 days in your body which may lead to a false negative test result. So June 24 seems fine.
hi I’m Mj, i stopped my birth-control last May 02. May 03 or May 04. I had my first period after i stopped my pills, it took 5 to 6 days but i used to have irregular cycle for 24 to 26 days only. May 27-28, then, i have unprotected sex on June 05 he release it inside me. then after 3 days i use a evaluation calculator which said that i’m in my fertile and ovulation days, and the sperm can live in the body for 3-5 days so it means i’m fertile that time. and its confirm, i try 2 PT both are negative result. 1st PT was June 11 and the 2nd PT June 14 in the morning.. My Question is when is the best time in my cycle to use a Home pregnancy test????
I really want to make it sure that i’m pregnant before i will make an appointment to my OB.
now i’m experiencing some early symptoms of early pregnancy,
such as: lower back pain, slight nausea, last week i have Diarrhea, this week constipation, headache, and slight cramping’s.. can you help me guys??????
Hi, The best time to take a pregnancy test is 10 days after your missed period date. For further details check our FAQ section:http://womanjunction.com/faq-frequently-asked-questions-menstrual-cycle-pregnancy-ovulation-abortion/