Last updated on April 24th, 2018 at 11:57 am
Find out now if you’re pregnant. Home pregnancy tests are fast, easy and affordable.
… but every test isn’t the same.
Which is the best pregnancy test for you?
We’ll give you the information that you need to make a good choice.
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Also, since most home pregnancy tests are 99% accurate only from the first day of your missed period, you need to know how testing early affects accuracy.
Wanna jump right in? Start by reading one of our top pregnancy test reviews (below).
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Pregnancy tests: Reviews and instructions
Like many other women, you have questions about pregnancy and how home pregnancy tests work.
That’s why you and thousands of potential moms before you have turned to CPG Health.
Welcome to our elite group!
We have a team of experts who routinely assess available OTC home pregnancy tests and provide information such as price, availability, instructions, and sensitivity in an easy-to-read format.
Use our link to shop for pregnancy tests at Amazon.
When you do, you keep CPG Health free for you and women just like you.
Some of the most well-known brands are discussed here, including the Dollar Tree Assured Pregnancy Test. We also discuss all the features and specifications that matter to you.
While you’re here, click the product links to go directly to either our online store or Amazon where you can have a home pregnancy test directly delivered to you.
When to take a home pregnancy test
Whether excited or panicked about being pregnant, you want to “find out” right away.
If you’re not careful, you can end up with a false negative result simply by testing too early.
That’s why women frequently ask us questions such as these about home pregnancy tests:
How soon can you take a pregnancy test?
and
When should I take a home pregnancy test?
Calculating when to test if pregnant
Here’s the formula for deciding when you should test for pregnancy:
Start with the date that your most recent period began. As an example, suppose your last period started on December 6th.
Next, add the number of days of your average cycle. For this illustration, suppose your cycle lasts 28 days.
Add 28 days to December 6th to find out when your next period should begin. In this case, the first day should be on January 4th.
So, from the perspective of the pregnancy test industry, Testing on January 4th would give you greater than 99% accuracy.
If you test early, you must count back from the day after the end of your cycle. Consult the packaging and directions that come with your pregnancy test to see how testing early affects accuracy.
Testing early
Practically all home pregnancy tests ore more than 99% accurate on the first day of your expected period.
Now, you may want to test early. Although some home pregnancy test kits advertise that you can test X number of days early, doing so always affects the accuracy of your results.
For example, if you choose the Rexall One Step Pregnancy Test, you’ll see a chart on the package that shows the following accuracy statistics:
- Testing 1 day early (the first day of your missed period) yields 99+% accuracy.
- Testing 2 days before your expected period = 87% accuracy.
- Testing 3 days before your expected period = 84% accuracy.
- Testing 4 days before your expected period = 74% accuracy.
- Testing 5 days before your expected period = 53% accuracy.
In other words, you should always have a second pregnancy test on hand to confirm pregnancy on the day of your missed period.
You can get better early results by buying a more sensitive home pregnancy test. For example, the First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test lets you test 6 days early, but doing so still affects accuracy.
- Testing 1 day early (the first day of your missed period) yields 99+% accuracy.
- Testing 2 days before your expected period = 99+% accuracy.
- Testing 3 days before your expected period = 99+% accuracy.
- Testing 4 days before your expected period = 99+% accuracy.
- Testing 5 days before your expected period = 96% accuracy.
- Testing 6 days before your expected period = 76% accuracy.
The First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test is more accurate because it has a higher sensitivity to the hCG pregnancy test in your urine than the first test we mentioned.
Of course, the First Response test also costs more.
Positive home pregnancy tests
If you follow the instructions that came with your pregnancy test, you should get a reliable result. If you want to know what a positive pregnancy test looks like, we can help.
Home Pregnancy Tests: Stick, Strip or Cassette?
If you’re potentially pregnant for the first time, you might have some preconceptions about pregnancy tests.
For instance, you might think that you can test right away, after having unprotected sex. You can’t do that and expect a valid result.
Similarly, you might see on TV how women use home pregnancy test sticks. These insert directly into your urine stream for a few seconds to start the test.
Also, you can get pregnancy tests that use special paper strips that react to the hCG pregnancy test hormone. The color of your developed test strip determines whether you have a positive or negative result.
Meanwhile, some tests, such as the Dollar General Pregnancy Test use a cassette-style test and dropper. With these, you catch some urine into a cup and then use the dropper that comes with your test to apply urine to the test window.
The important thing is to choose the style of pregnancy test that makes you feel comfortable.
You might want to try multiple types of pregnancy tests until you find the kind that you like.
Need more pregnancy test info?
Stay here for a while and relax. You’ll find everything you need to know about pregnancy testing here at CPG Health.
Visit our blog to enjoy our pregnancy test reviews.