Pregnancy tests detect the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which begins to form approximately 6 days after conception. Home pregnancy tests are usually accurate if the instructions in the manual are followed correctly. A positive test result is almost certainly correct. A negative result is less reliable. It may be done too early or be affected by certain medications. Urine should not be collected after drinking large amounts of fluids💧 as a diluted sample may lead to a false negative test result. Blood in the urine, on the other hand, can cause a false positive test result. hCG is primarily catabolized in the liver and about 20% is excreted in the urine. The hCG subunit is degraded in the kidneys to a core fragment, which is measured by urine hCG tests🚽.
Human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone produced by cells of the placenta during pregnancy. This hormone stimulates the corpus luteum to produce progesterone to maintain pregnancy. Smaller amounts of hCG are also produced by the pituitary gland, liver, colon, and even some malignancies.
hCG levels can vary widely among women with normal pregnancies. Concentrations of hCG in serum and urine rise exponentially📈 in the first trimester of pregnancy and double approximately every 24 hours⏱ during the first 8 weeks. It usually peaks around the 10th week of pregnancy and then levels drop until around the 16th week of pregnancy, when they remain relatively constant until the due date🤱.
Most pregnancy tests🤰🏻 can be performed from the first day of a missed period 🩸 or at least 21 days after the last unprotected intercourse 👩❤️👨.
Verra team💕