Knowing if you are Pregnant or not early is always a good thing, so that we could plan out prenatal care for optimal health of the fetus and the mother.
In case the pregnancy is unwanted then counseling regarding termination of pregnancy can be provided.
The most common reason for a missed period, in a sexually active woman with previous normal cycles, is Pregnancy.
Most common method employed at home is Urine Pregnancy Test at home using a Pregnancy test kit and this article deals with Pregnancy urine test results explained in detail.
Before we venture into testing, lets understand some basics
Where Conception occurs?
After sexual intercourse or sex, the semen is deposited in the vagina which has lots of sperms and these move and enter the cervix and into the uterus and reach the fallopian tube, where they meet the egg or ovum and fertilization takes place.
The whole process for the sperm to meet the egg takes place in a few minutes.
If pregnancy occurs or fertilized egg implants, the embryo secretes Beta hCG ( β hCG), into your blood. Some Beta hCG also gets passed in your urine. Also your body will show early signs of Pregnancy. We will detect this beta hCG in urine by pregnancy detection kits, which are commercially available.
Principle of Urine Pregnancy Test
Our aim is to detect Beta Human Chorionic Gonadotropin or β hCG in Urine.
How do Pregnancy Test Kits Work?
The test strip which is made up of absorbent paper contains antibodies in the testing portion of the paper strip which react with β hCG in the urine and gives the coloured line, indicating a Positive Test.
The C or Control line makes sure that sufficient urine volume is used and is internal procedural control, to make sure that the test is Valid.
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How to use Pregnancy Test Kit at Home
Step 1 : Make sure the pregnancy test kit is within the expiry period.
Step 2 : Keep the following things ready
- Plastic Pipette
- Urine collection container
- Pregnancy test kit
Step 3 : Collect the mid-stream urine sample for testing.
How to Collect Midstream First Void Sample
Keep the Urine container ready and then
First pass a small amount of urine into the toilet and then start collecting your urine into the urine container—do not touch the inside of the container. After collecting the sample, finish passing the urine into the toilet.
First Void means when you pass urine for the first time after waking up.
We are using first morning sample as it has the highest amount of β hCG.
Step 4 : Place 3 drops of urine in the sample space S , using a plastic pipette.
Step 5 : Leave the kit undisturbed for 3 to 5 minutes and then read the Result.
Pregnancy Urine Test Results Explained
Interpreting the Urine Pregnancy Test Result
Invalid Urine Pregnancy Test
It is important and essential that the Color band appears in the “C” or Control Region ; Only then you should go ahead with reading the result.
Following scenarios are considered Invalid Tests.
- If the color band does not appear on both the “C” Control and “T” Test region. Then the Test is Invalid Test.
- If the colored band appears only in the T region but not in the C region. Then the Test is Invalid Test.
You should use one more Testing Kit and do the test again.
Click here to know more about Invalid Pregnancy Test
Positive Urine Pregnancy Test
There is coloured line in the C region, which indicates the test kit is valid.
C is Control line and T is the Test line
If coloured line is seen in both the Control Line and Test Line, then the Result is POSITIVE.
Positive means the Woman is Pregnant.
It should be noted that the coloured line or band could be Dark Pink or Purple.
Negative Urine Pregnancy Test
C is Control line and T is the Test line
If there is only one Line present in C or Control line, then the Urine Pregnancy Test is NEGATIVE.
Negative means the Woman is NOT pregnant.
Faint Line at T Region
C is Control line and T is the Test line
Faint line is due to low levels of β hCG in the Urine.
If there is coloured line in the C region and A Faint line in the T Region, then the following could be the reason.
1. Checking Too Early for Pregnancy
The β hCG has not increased much and you could get a faint line, so repeat the test again after 3-4 days and check again.
2. Faint line found even after 1 week after the missed period.
The reason could be because of delayed ovulation, which lead to delayed conception
3. Ectopic pregnancy
If the Conception happens outside the uterine cavity, the line will be light in color. Ectopic Pregnancy is an Emergency
4. Missed abortion
A non-viable pregnancy, which is retained inside, but has not been aborted spontaneously. In such cases the fetus doesn’t grow nor the levels of β hCG increases.
We come to know this by sonography.
Evaporation Line at T Region
Evaporation line is found, if the results are read after a long time. Time to read the result is mostly 3 minutes to 5 minutes. Check the Label of the Pregnancy Kit.
If read later after 10 minutes or later, then we get a Faint line, called the Evaporation Line.
Caused when the urine evaporates and leaves a faint line which is colorless and it’s also called the water mark line.
So It’s important to check it within the reaction time.
If we want to find out about Pregnancy very early, then we go in for Blood Test for Pregnancy.
Blood Test for Pregnancy
Pregnancy can be found out earlier by Blood Test than Urine Pregnancy Test.
β hCG can be found as early as 8-9 days Post Fertilization.
It means, β hCG can be found in the blood before the First Missed Menstrual Period.
Normal values in non pregnant women is 10 mIU/mL.The hCG hormone is measured in milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/mL).
In pregnant women, β hCG values double every 1.4 to 2 days, i.e. 48 hours, reaching a maximum level between 60 to 70 days of pregnancy. Later the concentration slowly declines in later months.
Does Urine Pregnancy Test and Blood Test Confirm that you are 100% Pregnant?
In case you get a Positive Urine Pregnancy Test at Home, and in Blood Test,
You may get a value of Beta HCG and against it, the number of weeks of gestation or pregnancy, which again implies that there is β hCG in the Blood. BUT this β hCG can also be secreted by many other conditions like
1. Ectopic Pregnancy
Where the pregnancy is outside the uterus , called ectopic pregnancy.
2. Hydatidiform mole or Choriocarcinoma
Sometimes the pregnancy cannot develop normally, resulting in a hydatidiform mole, which is just a mass of tissue.
3. Pregnancy with Down syndrome
4. Spontaneous abortions
To be 100% sure of the pregnancy and to know if it’s viable and implanted in the Uterus, we go in for Transvaginal Ultrasound.
Ultrasound Test for Pregnancy
Transviaginal Ultrasound is done by inserting an Ultrasound Probe in the vagina and visualized for the gestational sac to confirm the pregnancy.
Intradecidual Gestational Sac can be detected in 29 to 35 days of gestation.
Gestational sac and Yolk sac is identified by 5 weeks
Fetal Pole and Cardiac activity at 6 weeks.
Read more to understand False Positive and False Negative Results
Read more on Negative hCG Blood Test but Pregnant
Read more on How long after implantation that hCG rise in Urine
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes HCG can evaporate from urine as time passes. It is due to urea content in the urine which might cause it.
The Urine sample has to be tested as soon as possible and if there is a delay then it should be stored in the refrigerator at 2 to 8 degreee celcius and used within 48 hours.
