Pregnancy test: types and costs

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Pregnancy test

You think you are pregnant? To be sure, just buy one pregnancy test do it yourself, which you can do comfortably at home and in a few minutes you will remove all doubts. The pregnancy test, in fact, measures the presence of the hormone HCG (Chorionic gonadotropin) in the urine, a glycoprotein hormone produced by the cells of the placenta about eight days after fertilization.

But which pregnancy test buy? How many types of pregnancy tests are there and which one to choose? Let's try to answer these questions together.

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After fertilization and the implantation of the embryo in the uterine cavity, complex transformations take place that start the path that leads from conception to formation ...

In this article

• When to take a pregnancy test? 
• How to take a pregnancy test? 
• The different types of pregnancy tests 
• Normal or digital pregnancy test? 
• Pregnancy test: the price for each type 

Read also: Pregnancy test: how and when to do it

When to take a pregnancy test?

If a woman has a regular 28-day cycle, the pregnancy test for domestic use it can be done from the first day of delay of Menses, ie about 7 days from the nesting of the fertilized egg and 14 from the presumed conception.

It is also advisable to do the pregnancy test if you experience particular symptoms, such as:

• feeling excessively fatigued during the day;
• falling asleep in the evening after dinner;
• feel a sense of nausea or annoyance for some smells and tastes;
• experience excessive tension in the breasts or menstrual-like pains "

Read also: First weeks of pregnancy: symptoms, dos and don'ts

How to take a pregnancy test?

The urine pregnancy test should be performed by placing the test strip of the test, for a few seconds, under the stream of urine or by immersing theindicator in a container containing your own urine. The test result appears after a few seconds in different ways depending on whether you are using a normal pregnancy test (stick) or a digital pregnancy test.

The pregnancy test can be done at all times of the day, but it is preferable to perform the test in the morning since upon waking the urine is much more concentrated and hormone levels HCG they are higher. It is also necessary to avoid drinking a lot of water before using the pregnancy test in order not to dilute the hormone level too much HCG in the urine.

How do you read the test results?

The results are read according to the type of pregnancy test. The message "positive" or the number of weeks in which you are pregnant may appear, or there are two lines, one for control and one that appears if the test is positive. The test in which the second line is weakly positive is also to be considered positive. If in doubt, you can choose to repeat it a few days later.

Read also: When to take the pregnancy test

The different types of pregnancy tests

There are different types of pregnancy tests, more or less reliable, that you can use alone or that require sampling and laboratory analyzes. Here are the 3 types of pregnancy tests, all three of which are reliable:

1. urine pregnancy test: it is the most used, it can be bought at the pharmacy and allows to detect the presence of the Beta HCG hormone in the urine. Thanks to specific antibodies that react positively or negatively in the presence or not of the Beta-HCG hormone, you will notice the appearance of specific signs that indicate whether the pregnancy test is positive or negative. The urinary test is 99% reliable. 
   
   
2. blood pregnancy testThere are two types of blood tests. The qualitative test is the simplest one, and simply returns the values positive o negative. The quantitative test also considers the exact amount of Beta HCG hormone present in the blood, allowing an estimate of the date of conception. It is 100 percent reliable, and is therefore the most reliable and safe pregnancy test.
   
   
3. salivary pregnancy test: measures hormone levels Beta HCG present in the saliva, it is very practical and 98% reliable, but in Del Paese it is still not very widespread.

Read also: The first super-early pregnancy test arrives, to be done on blood at home

Normal or digital pregnancy test?

We can divide the home tests into 4 categories main:

1. Il traditional pregnancy test results positive if they appear two colored lines after putting the test strip in contact with urine, negative in case of the appearance of a single colored line. 
   
   
2. Il digital pregnancy test allows you to know the outcome with the appearance of the written "pregnant" o "not pregnant" on the display or as symbols ("smiley face"if you are pregnant,"sad face"otherwise), digital pregnancy tests are also able to provide information on the number of weeks from conception.
   
   
3. early test. It uses a very sensitive HCG hormone detection system, therefore able to detect its presence early. While the previous two tests are done after a delay or on days when your period should come, the early test can be done 3-4 days before the expected date of arrival of menstruation.
   
   

4. Canadian pregnancy tests. There are very inexpensive Canadian pregnancy tests with a sensitivity of 10 mIU / ml on the market. Their cost is about 6 euros for 20 tests, they are similar to the Canadian ovulation tests, usually they have a blue handle with the inscription indicating the pregnancy hormone, beta HCG.

Read also: Positive pregnancy test: 10 things to do right away

Pregnancy test: the price for each type

What is the cost a pregnancy test? THE prices vary from 12 to 20 euro depending on whether it is a normal (stick) or digital test. It is also possible to buy multiple packs, which contain 2 or more urinary tests, spending approximately 25 euros. There are also very cheap Candesi tests, the cost of which is about 6 euros for 20 tests, are similar to Canadian ovulation tests. To save money, all tests can be purchased online. 

Depending on the type of test you choose, the prices are as follows:

• a urine pregnancy test, the most common, costs between 12 and 20 euros. You can buy it at the pharmacy, or even online. 
• the blood test, which is performed in the clinic on prescription, it costs around 20 euros.
• the salivary test costs between 20 and 30 euros, you can only buy it online.

Questions and answers

When to take a pregnancy test?  

The pregnancy test should preferably be done from the first day of delayed menstruation.

How much does a pregnancy test cost?  

The cost can vary from 12 to 20 euros depending on whether it is a normal or digital test. 

Do online pregnancy tests work?  

No, the tests you find online in quiz format have no scientific value.

Read also: First visit to the gynecologist: All scheduled examinations and visits

TAG:

• pregnancy test
• weeks 1-13