Pregnancy Test Accuracy - How Accurate Are Pregnancy Tests

The accuracy of at-home tests vary from woman to woman. It can be frustrating not knowing whether or not you are pregnant right away, especially if you are trying to have a baby. However, not all test results are accurate. False negatives can happen because the pregnancy test accuracy is not always precise. It depends largely on your ovulation cycle, the sensitivity of your test, and the amount of hCG in your urine when you test. If you are worried about a false negative and the kind of heartbreak that it can provide, educating yourself about the accuracy of different at-home tests is in your best interests.

What Affects Pregnancy Test Accuracy?

Your body can have a major influence on pregnancy test accuracy. Here's how it works; tests detect hCG in your urine. This is commonly referred to as the pregnancy hormone. Your body begins to produce this hormone once your fertilized eggs implants into your uterus. Once your egg is fertilized, it can take approximately one week to make its way down your fallopian tubes and into your uterus. Sometimes it gets there faster and other times it takes a little longer. Furthermore, the average date of ovulation on an average 28-day cycle is 14 days from the first day of your last period. That means this is most likely the day on which your body releases an egg, allowing sperm to fertilize it. However, not all women ovulate this day. Some ovulate sooner and some later. That means that if your body ovulates a little later than you expect, it could take longer for your egg to implant in your uterus, meaning that a test might not show that you are pregnant right away.

When Can You Take A Test?

Pregnancy test accuracy is also determined based on the date that you test. Some tests are designed to detect even the smallest amounts of hCG in your urine, meaning you can test sooner than your missed period. While most tests are pretty accurate one day after your missed period, experts and medical professionals recommend that women wait to test until one week after their missed period for the best test accuracy. However, most women cannot wait that long. Your impatience and excitement might get the best of you, which is why it's important to know the accuracy rates of at-home pregnancy tests.

Clearblue Pregnancy Test

Clearblue Easy makes several tests, including digital tests. All tests are 99 percent accurate beginning on the day of your expected period. For example, if you take a Clearblue Easy pregnancy test the morning you expect your period, the result is 99 percent accurate. Clearblue makes pregnancy tests with enough sensitivity to detect pregnancy as many as four days prior to your missed period. If you use one of Clearblue Easy's digital pregnancy tests, you may get a positive result as many as five days prior to your missed period. The accuracy of Clearblue Easy when testing four days early is 53 percent. That number rises each day until 99 percent the day of your missed period.

EPT Pregnancy Test

The Error Proof Pregnancy test is 99 percent accurate the day you expect your period. With both a traditional and a digital test available, the accuracy of your pregnancy test is trustworthy. Each test is designed to tell you whether or not you are pregnant as many as five days before your missed period. The chance of getting a positive result this early is approximately 54 percent. There is a better chance of a positive result each day you wait to test.

First Response Pregnancy Test

The first response tests, both traditional and digital, are the only tests on the market that are sensitive enough to let you know if you are pregnant six days before your missed period. However, a negative result this early is not 100 percent accurate as you might have ovulated later than usual or your body simply is not producing enough hCG at the moment. There is a 54 percent chance that you will be able to detect your pregnancy six days before you miss your period with the First Response pregnancy test. On the day of your missed period, the accuracy of First Response jumps to 99 percent.

While it is exceptionally tempting to begin testing for pregnancy almost a week before your period is due, it can cause a bit of heartbreak if your body is not producing enough of the pregnancy hormone needed to show up on your pregnancy test. Even knowing that it's early and you have a bigger chance of finding a negative result, it's easy to feel sad. For the best accuracy, wait until one week after your missed period to test. For 99 percent accuracy, take a pregnancy test the day of your missed period. While you might be one of the many women who find out as many as five or six days before your missed period that you are pregnant, you might not want to take a negative result seriously until the day of your missed period.

For more information and resources visit: http://www.negativepregnancytest.com

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