Russian women have been using express pregnancy determination methods for more than 12 years. At the moment there are several tests that are convenient to use at home.
The merits of such devices now no one questions. What are the criteria for choosing and buying a test, how to use it correctly and how to achieve the most accurate results will be described in this article.
Principle of operation
All rapid tests determine the principle of determining the presence of the hormone hCG in the urine. This hormone in minimal quantities is manifested in the urine almost a week after conception.
Thus, it is possible to diagnose pregnancy at the minimum time, although most manufacturers of pregnancy tests recommend using their products only from the first days of the absence of menstruation.
The tests also work on the same system: a special reagent based on antibodies to chorionic gonadotropin is sprayed onto the surface; when in contact with urine, antibodies are activated.
If a woman is pregnant, then two strips of bright pink color (diagnostic and control) should appear on the test, but if there is no pregnancy, only one control strip appears.
Types of pregnancy tests: an overview
There are three types of rapid pregnancy tests: inkjet, tablet and test strip. To understand which test to determine pregnancy is better, you need to study the characteristics of various types of this device.
The most convenient option is a test strip. This is a budget and affordable means for determining pregnancy. It is used as follows: morning urine is collected in a clean dish and immersed in it a strip for about 20 seconds.
Then you need to wait 5-7 minutes and watch the result. The accuracy of this test on the first day of delay is 90-95%. The advantage of this product is low cost and accessibility (you can even buy in the supermarket).
Tablet test is more sensitive and easy to use. The test is protected by a plastic box and has two windows. In one of these windows a disposable pipette (it is included in the test kit) drip urine, which spreads over the surface soaked in reagent, reaching the second window with a control and diagnostic strip.
And by the same principle as with the test strip, the result is read in the second window. Of the advantages of this test, it can be noted that there is no need to immerse the device in a container with urine, but you still have to collect it, and then use a disposable pipette to take the required amount for diagnosis.
It costs more than a test strip and is sold in pharmacies.
Improved systems for determining pregnancy are jet tests. They have a special block of particles, which, in the case of pregnancy, are attached to the hormone hCG, and the result is visible a couple of minutes after its use.
The undoubted convenience of this test is that it can be placed just under the stream of urine, and not to use special containers and pipettes. Also, this device can be used at any convenient time of the day. But they are much more expensive than the above test devices.
The inkjet test works according to the following principle: urine rises to the part with the reagent along the fibrous rod with latex particles, to which hCG is attached, even with minimal content. This means that the test with almost 100% accuracy shows the pregnancy from the first days.
There are also reservoir test systems, but they are quite difficult to find on sale. From the outside of the tank there is a window in which the result appears, and the test part, located directly in the tank, itself absorbs the necessary amount of urine.
The new generation of devices for determining the interesting position of women
We should also mention the electronic pregnancy tests, which appeared on the Russian market just a few years ago. They can not only determine whether a woman is pregnant or not, but also indicate an approximate period.
Such a device works, like all previous ones, and the electronic screen is activated when urine gets on the absorbing strip. This test is used in the same way as the jet one. Among the shortcomings, it is possible to note the excessively high cost, as well as the tendency of the system to "hang"
For example, with a negative result, the test may show approximate periods of pregnancy.
Few women in Russia know that there is also a reusable test. This is the most expensive way to determine pregnancy among all of the above. As a rule, it has twenty test strips included.
After the procedure, you must install the cartridge with the test strip in the device, resembling a flash drive. Further, this whole structure is inserted into the USB connector of a computer or laptop and detailed information appears on the screen. With a positive result: the estimated date of conception and childbirth.
If negative, favorable days for conception are calculated. Manufacturers say that the test gives a 100% guarantee of the correct result. The cost of a reusable device for determining pregnancy exceeds the cost of an ordinary test strip by about 12 times.
When buying a pregnancy test, it is important to pay attention to the degree of its sensitivity. Sensitivity determines the amount of hCG hormones that the device is capable of capturing.
Causes of Errors in Test Results
It should be remembered that any diagnostics at home may produce an erroneous result. Weakly expressed (pale pink), the second band may report pregnancy, but not fully manifest due to the low content of the hormone hCG.
If a woman is undergoing treatment with certain drugs (for example, drugs for infertility treatment) or has a tumor (in the presence of a hormone-producing tumor, even men will have a positive result), as well as after a miscarriage or incomplete removal of fetal tissues after an early abortion, test may show a positive result, although in fact there is no pregnancy.
Possible and negative test result at the onset of pregnancy. This often happens if the diagnosis is incorrect.
Factors affecting the wrong result can be:
- too early use of the test; stale urine for diagnosis;
- diseases of the genitourinary system in which HCG does not enter the urine;
- excessive amounts of water consumed (the hormone hCG just "washed away" in the liquid);
- difficult pregnancy (ectopic pregnancy or the threat of spontaneous miscarriage).
In any case, if the test was positive, you should immediately visit the doctor to ensure the results. If the test is negative, but all signs of pregnancy are felt, an ultrasound scan is also needed to understand the causes of the ailments.
General recommendations for selection
What kind of pregnancy test is most preferable? The confidence of the Russian market was won by the pregnancy tests of brands Frautest, Evitest, Clearblue, Bee sure (a test of Russian production with a minimum cost). Marketing research suggests that the following tests are the most popular among Russian women:
- Test strips sensitivity 20–25 mIU / ml (able to detect pregnancy at about 4 days after the delay);
- Tablet, with a sensitivity of 20-15 mMe / ml (will give the correct result approximately on the tenth day after conception);
- Inkjet, with a sensitivity of 10-20 mMe / ml (the presence of the fetus will be determined literally a couple after conception).
But even here opinions are mixed. All tests work on the same principle and differ only in the level of sensitivity and method of application. For those to whom comfort is important, jet tests are more suitable. Those who are important low cost, will prefer the usual test strips.
What is the best pregnancy test: reviews and conclusions
I use the usual test strips from Evitest and I see no reason to buy something more expensive, this test never let me down.
Anna, 31, Moscow
It has long been transferred from the stripes to the Frautest jet tests, they are more convenient and accurate, they are said to be better.
Svetlana, 29 years old, Saratov
There are a lot of pregnancy tests now, but I think that if you are really pregnant, then any test will show two strips, let the second one be very weak. So do not overpay for advertising and fashion on electronics.
Elena, 24 years old, Voronezh
For a long time I tried to get pregnant and during this period I used a lot of completely different tests for both 30 rubles and 400. All of them work on the same principle, so count each on your own pocket. Even a familiar doctor told me later that the reliability of the result would not change from the packaging.
Anastasia, 42 years old, Moscow
Summarizing, we can say that any pregnancy test will give the correct result with its correct and timely use. It is necessary to pay attention to the shelf life of products and carefully read the instructions before use. It is important to remember that only a doctor and ultrasound diagnostics can guarantee a 100% guarantee of the onset or absence of pregnancy.
Some more informative information about pregnancy tests is in the next video.
