No one really talks about pregnancy tests, even some women (especially if they’re young) are clueless on how these pregnancy tests work. Therefore a lot of myths about home pregnancy tests have circulated over time.
Fox News Health interviewed Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine.
Based on Dr. Minkin there are four major misconceptions about pregnancy tests.
MYTH: At-home tests can confirm that you’re expecting right away.
Pregnancy test are predominantly accurate but they don’t give an immediate answer.
Dr. Minkin said that it may take five days or so for the fertilized egg to implant itself in the uterus, then it stimulates the production of hCG, a hormone secreted during pregnancy.
“If you have sex and take a pregnancy test a few days later, it can still come back negative. That doesn’t mean the test is not accurate or you’re not pregnant, it could mean that you’re doing it too early.” Minkin said.
If you want to get a more accurate result on a pregnancy test it’s better to wait for about a week after your missed period.
MYTH: Nothing can trip up at-home pregnancy test results.
Yes, factors like exercise, food, stress, and lifestyle does not affect the body’s production of hCG once the egg has been implanted.
“But certain fertility treatments contain hCG, which can lead to a false positive,” Minkin mentioned.
At-home tests only measure if the hormone is present; it does not measure the exact levels of the hormone. When you’re on fertility medicines it’s better to go to a doctor to confirm your pregnancy.
MYTH: No need to spend a lot of money—there are tons of cheap, natural ways to do a pregnancy test.
While there are a lot of DIY pregnancy tests on the internet, they are hardly accurate.
“Besides hCG, the body doesn’t secrete anything in the urine that would give you a clue that you’re having a baby,” Minkin said. “So if the test doesn’t measure hCG specifically, and no natural method does, it’s not going to prove anything.”
If you want realistic results it’s better to just pay a little more cash to rather than resorting to unsafe “holistic” methods.
MYTH: New urine tests can also reveal the gender of the baby.
The thought of finding out the sex of you baby right away may sound exciting but at-home urine tests that guarantee to predict the sex of the baby are nothing more than gimmicks.
“There are absolutely no sex hormones in urine” and “HCG increases the same amount for boys and girls, so with a urine test, there is no way to know the sex of the baby,” Minkin explained.
If you’re really eager to know the sex of your baby it’s better to get an ultrasound. The only accurate way to tell the gender of the baby is through ultrasounds that are usually done at weeks 16 to 20.
READ: Predictor pregnancy test kit
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