6 Steps to Pregnancy Test Kit Use for Accurate Results

Using a pregnancy test kit at home is easy, but if necessary precautions are not taken, it can give wrong results. It is important to know these things while using a pregnancy test kit.

When you are planning for a child and your periods do not come on time, the first thought that comes to mind is to do a pregnancy test. Nowadays, pregnancy test kits are available at almost every medical store, and it is also very easy to use. Therefore, women usually do the pregnancy test kit use at home.

But do you know what precautions should be taken while doing a pregnancy test at home, because even a slight mistake will not give the correct result of the test.

Before doing Pregnancy test use at home, keep these things in mind

• Test sample should be taken from the first urine of the morning only.
• Urine should be collected in a clean and dry container.
• Do not touch the middle part of the test strip (test window).
• Put urine on the strip with the help of the dropper provided in the test kit.
• Wait for 5 to 10 minutes (as mentioned in the guide) and check the result.
• The test should be evaluated not later than 30 minutes.

Types of Pregnancy Test Kit

There are two types of pregnancy test kits –

1. Strip pregnancy Test

This is the main type of pregnancy test kit. You can hold it in your urine stream. If the hCG hormone is present in your urine, one end of the strip will start changing color, which indicates that you are pregnant.

2. Cup test kit –

This kit contains a cup to collect urine along with the testing device. After collecting urine in this cup, dip this testing device in the cup. If hCG is present in the urine, then its color will change, which means that you are pregnant.

Benefits of Pregnancy Test Kit

Using a pregnancy test kit saves the hassle of visiting the doctor every time. Women who are trying to get pregnant usually keep a small pack of pregnancy test kits at home to test at their convenience. Once the result is positive, they go to the hospital for prenatal tests.

For women who are not trying to get pregnant but have had unprotected sex, pregnancy test kits allow them to find out about their pregnancy early so they can have an abortion if they wish. Early detection of pregnancy gives them enough time to make the right decisions for their health.

When should a pregnancy test kit be used?

You can use a pregnancy test kit if you are already trying to get pregnant, or have had unprotected sex for any other reason. Sometimes, condoms or birth control pills fail for whatever reason. This is where these easily available pregnancy test kits come in handy – in detecting pregnancy early.

Usually, hCG can be detected in the urine 5 to 12 days after the egg is implanted in the uterus. The best time to use a pregnancy test kit is in the morning when pregnancy hormones are at their maximum levels in the urine. The chances of getting an accurate result are highest in the first urine of the day.

Additionally, if you have had unprotected sex and missed your period and are feeling tired, nauseous, sore throat, and mild breast pain, you should check whether you are pregnant or not.

How to use Pregnancy Test Kit?

Using a pregnancy test kit is very easy. Of course, many types of kits are available today, but the method of use is the same, which is written here step by step –

1. Whichever method you’re using for your kit, use a midstream sample, which means letting some urine drain out before collecting the urine.

2. If you are urinating directly on the strip, make sure to measure the time needed as some kits may give instructions to use it for no more than 5 seconds. You can also use a stopwatch to keep track of the time. Before using it, make sure that the absorbent end of the strip is facing the urine.

3. Use a dropper to add a few drops of urine. This is useful in the cup kit method. Put the drops of urine exactly where it is directed. Some brands of kits require you to dip the absorbent part of the stick in the urine and wait for 5-10 seconds or for the time mentioned on the kit.

4. Now wait for some time. And keep the test stick in a clean place. The result comes in 5 minutes, but some kits take 10 minutes to give the result. It would be better to wait for the result as per the instructions written on the kit.

5. Now see the result after the prescribed time. If you are not able to understand the result then read the instructions on your kit because in some kits the result comes in the form of “plus and minus”, in some the “color” changes and in some it is written that you are “pregnant” or “not pregnant”.

Conclusion

Proper pregnancy test kit use can provide a reliable and convenient means of confirming pregnancy. You can get accurate results by following the instructions and using the testing kit correctly. If you still have doubts, visit Diwya Vatsalya Mamta IVF Centre in Patna, where our gynecologists provide free advice.

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