Post Date April, 15 2023
Many women have become accustomed to using early pregnancy test paper to test whether they are pregnant, and hospitals often use this method to test. Early pregnancy test paper is very useful and fast to use, but will it give you a wrong message?
In fact, although the early pregnancy test paper claims to have a 99% accuracy rate, you should not take your self-test results too lightly.
According to expert statistics, the correct testing rate of early pregnancy test paper varies greatly, ranging from 50% to 98%.
Why is there such a big difference? Gynecologists have pointed out that when women conduct pregnancy self testing at home, without any external guidance, the general test results can only achieve an accuracy rate of 50% to 75%. If such tests are performed in front of a doctor in a laboratory, the doctor can ensure that the test paper works properly, and women can accurately use the test paper in accordance with the instructions. The test accuracy rate is likely to be close to 100%.
The manufacturer of the early pregnancy test paper and ovulation self testing mirror declares, "In the laboratory, it has been confirmed that the accuracy of today's early pregnancy test paper is up to 99%. However, when women use the early pregnancy test paper, it is important to follow the instructions carefully to ensure that the test results are correct and reliable." However, in the actual operation process, it is not easy to use the instructions correctly.
Some early pregnancy test strips have instructions that read: "Urine towards one end of the self-test card, with the absorption tip facing downward, and the display window facing away from the body to prevent urine from splashing onto it." Some early pregnancy test strips also instruct users to "hold a urine burette and drop three drops of urine down from a place 3 centimeters above the urinal at the bottom of the test strip." If you read the details of these instructions carefully several times and think it over and over again, There may not be any problems. However, for a woman who is nervous and panicky due to fear of pregnancy, it is inevitable that she cannot calmly and patiently follow the instructions and make mistakes. Moreover, the test results are also very confusing, and neither color response nor line response is easy to explain.
In addition, there are other obstacles to obtaining accurate test results. Like professional medical tests, the working principle of pregnancy self testing is to detect the HCG value, which is the value of human chorionic gonadotropin. "This hormone is produced by the placenta and generally appears in the urine a few days after pregnancy. However, due to its small amount, it is not easy to test it until 10 to 14 days later, when it becomes increasingly apparent (HCG values can also be measured through blood tests, and are much more accurate).". Although many types of early pregnancy test papers indicate that women can undergo a pregnancy self test after missing a normal menstrual period for 1 day, in fact, not all pregnant women emit HCG hormone at the same rate and amount, which varies from person to person. "If you take a urine test too early, the negative reaction may be wrong," said an obstetrics and gynecology expert. Therefore, it is best to conduct a pregnancy self test two weeks after the menstrual period is delayed, so that the results will be more reliable.
If you take a pregnancy self test at night, the accuracy will also be more or less affected. Because urine from early risers generally has the highest HCG value. Many early pregnancy test papers do not specify the best time of day for testing. Generally speaking, using urine that is excreted the first time in the morning will yield the most accurate results. Although positive results do not have the same high misdiagnosis rate as negative results, there are many non pregnancy factors that can lead to positive test results: blood in the urine, recent pregnancies (HCG hormones can be detected after miscarriage, induced abortion, or 8 weeks of childbirth), ovarian tumors, and other conditions, or taking some fertility drugs.
Despite this, most women still blindly believe in the power of early pregnancy test paper, and the sales of early pregnancy test paper are staggering every year. Doctors even rely on this type of test paper to determine whether a patient is pregnant. Incorrect test results have led doctors to prescribe drugs that are not suitable for pregnant women, such as powerful acne drugs, which can lead to fetal physiological defects. Whether the result is negative or positive, erroneous test results are harmful. Women who mistakenly believe they are not pregnant through self testing may continue to smoke, drink alcohol, receive X-rays, or take drugs unsuitable for pregnant women, all of which are harmful to the embryo. As for women who are trying to conceive by any means, a false positive result can make them feel happy and emotionally hurt.
If you want to improve the accuracy of self testing, follow these steps.
1. Pay attention to the production date on the packaging box, and do not use expired test cards, as chemicals will become invalid over time.
2. To reduce the probability of inaccurate testing, carefully read the instructions on the test card before going to the bathroom for specific operations, and then carefully follow the instructions.
3. If you are unsure about the test results, it is best to call a doctor for consultation and complete the test under their guidance. For example, if you drink too much water and dilute your urine, your doctor will tell you not to repeat the test. If the test results are positive but not obvious, you should assume that you are pregnant and go to the hospital for a checkup.
4. If the self test results are negative and your menstrual cycle is still coming after 1 week, you should take the self test again. If it's not negative, it's best to see a doctor.
5. The most important thing is to believe in your body. If your symptoms tell you that you are pregnant or not pregnant, regardless of the self-test results, it should be thought that the self-test may be incorrect, and it is best to go to a hospital for examination. Symptoms of early pregnancy include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, frequent urination, breast distension, partial appetite, lethargy, etc.
