Home Pregnancy Tests Reliable as Blood Pregnancy Tests?

Home Pregnancy Tests Reliable as Blood Pregnancy Tests?

Most women are familiar with the home pregnancy tests that you buy at the drug store. These tests detect the hormone hCG in a woman’s urine. However, many women don’t know that there is another, different type of pregnancy test that detects hCG in a woman’s blood instead of her urine. That test is a blood pregnancy test, and it is only done in a doctor’s office setting. Read on to find out more about the difference in the two types of tests, and whether or not one is more reliable than the other. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here

Home pregnancy test basics

Home pregnancy tests are done by using a test strip to detect the amount of hCG in a woman’s urine. You either place the test strip into a cup of urine, or sometimes place the test strip directly in your urine stream. After a short wait, you can see a change in the test strip that will indicate whether or not you are pregnant.

Pros: inexpensive

Home pregnancy tests are usually very inexpensive. Most run in the $10-$15 range for a multi-pack. You can even find single pregnancy tests for one dollar at your local dollar store.

Pros: easy to find

You can buy home pregnancy tests almost anywhere. They are available online, and you can get them at any drugstore or your local Walmart or Target. You can also pick up a home pregnancy test at your local grocery store when you are getting dinner or at your local gas station when you are filling up your tank. They are everywhere!

Pros: easy to use

For the most part, home pregnancy tests are easy to use. If you follow the instructions properly, you can get an accurate result in usually five minutes or less.

Pros: private

If you don’t want to go to a doctor’s office and announce your business to everyone there, a home pregnancy test can be a great choice. Let’s say you’re trying to get pregnant over 35, and you feel a little sensitive about your age. You can order them online and have them delivered to your home, take them in your bathroom, and no one will ever know!

Cons: don’t always work

While rare, it is possible to get a defective home pregnancy test. This can be a waste of money, as well as a waste of time.

Cons: hard to read results

It is easy to misread the instructions on a home pregnancy test. If you take one before your missed period, or if you don’t wait long enough, you can get an inaccurate result. It is very important to read the instructions and follow them precisely to get an accurate result.

Blood test basics

Blood tests are done in a doctor’s office. Blood tests can either give your doctor a simple “YES” or “NO” answer as to whether or not there is any hCG in your blood, or it can give your doctor a reading of the exact amount of hCG in your blood, depending on the kind of test your doctor does.

Pros: highly accurate

Since blood tests can determine the exact amount of hCG in your blood, they are more accurate than urine tests. There is also less room for human error since they are administered by a doctor, and you don’t have any confusing results to read.

Pros: done earlier

If you need to take a pregnancy test before your missed period, a blood test can be a good choice. They can be done as soon as five days after possible conception.

Cons: expensive

Blood tests must be done at a doctor’s office, so you have to pay for the test itself as well as the doctor’s office visit. This price can vary from affordable to pretty steep, so check with your doctor before having one done.

Cons: wait for results

With a home pregnancy test, you can get your results within about five minutes. However, when you have a blood test done, you will have to wait usually at least 24 hours to get your results back.

Cons: not private

If you go to the doctor’s office to have a blood test done, you are probably not going to be in the most private of settings. If you don’t want anyone to know about your test, this probably is not the best option for you.

As you can see, there are many advantages and disadvantages to each kind of test. If you are basing your choice only on which test is the most accurate, that award would have to go to blood pregnancy tests. However, there are many other factors to consider when choosing which type of pregnancy test to take.

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Maureen Stephens, BS, RN
Maureen Stephens, BS, RN | ConceiveEasy
Ms. Stephens has spent over twenty years in the healthcare world, specializing in obstretical and medical/surgical nursing. She joined ConceiveEasy as she has a strong interest in educating and empowering women and promoting fertility awareness.

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