Sensitivity of pregnancy tests. What pregnancy test to choose

It is unlikely that there will be a woman who will remain indifferent to the delay of menstruation even for a couple of days. The excitement may be somebody's joy, some worrying, but it always raises the question: "What should I do? Go to the doctors or wait a bit? "

A visit to a specialist after a short delay will most likely not clarify the situation. It is unlikely that a doctor will be able to diagnose such a short period of pregnancy. The way out will be going to the pharmacy and buying a simple, inexpensive and understandable home test to identify an interesting situation.

The sensitivity of pregnancy tests in their simplest form is such that they are more likely to determine your condition already on the 2-3 day delay. It is suitable for any woman, regardless of age and physical condition. For its use, no additional consultations are needed, everything will be clear after reading the instructions.

Precautionary measures

The annotation to the product will describe what you should not do before research, when it's best done, what accessories you need to stock up. The main conditions are usually:

1. The presence of a clean container for the test material.
2. Undesirable use of diuretic drugs before the procedure, the result may be distorted.
3. The required time for the examination is morning (for certain types of tests).

It is necessary to take into account the fact that with the use of birth control pills or, conversely, the passage of a course of therapy against infertility, the test may also be unreliable.

How it works?

In the female body, during pregnancy, human chorionic gonadotropin is produced. In a normal state, a healthy person does not have it. Exceptions are women who have hormonal tumors. The test diagnoses the presence of hCG in the blood. Produced by the placenta, the hormone can be determined as early as a week.

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any other, such products are endowed with both positive and negative qualities.

Pluses:

• Complete anonymity;
• The elementary procedure of carrying out;
• The sensitivity of pregnancy tests allows you to determine it at the minimum time, even before the delay of critical days.

Disadvantages:

• Does not show a uterine or ectopic pathological pregnancy;
• A false result is possible, usually because of substandard, overdue tests;
• High cost of some models.

Factors affecting the cost

A pregnancy test, the price of which should not be very low, should have a good shelf-life, so that there is no doubt about the reliability of the indicator obtained. Its cost is primarily affected by such a factor as sensitivity, but also its kind (generation) and the company-manufacturer.

What is sensitivity?

If a woman wants to determine the possible onset of conception as early as possible, you should purchase a test with a higher sensitivity. What is the difference between ultra-sensitive systems and conventional ones, and how to choose the copy you need?

The amount of HCG that can catch a single test determines the indicator, such as the sensitivity of pregnancy tests. Their number increases with each day passed after fertilization. The sooner you want to know about such an important condition for you, the smaller the indicator mMe / ml should be indicated on the box with the test, respectively, the higher the figure, the lower the sensitivity of the product.

Existing levels of sensitivity

Tests are with the indicator: 30 mMe / ml, 25 mMe / ml, 20 mMe / ml, 15 mMe / ml, 10 mMe / ml.

The pregnancy test (sensitivity 10) will be able to determine the lowest number of human chorionic gonadotropin in the body of a future mother.

Types of products and their marking

Now they produce 3 variants of tests for the detection of early pregnancy. They differ in quality, form of manufacture, price, and of course, sensitivity.

1. Tests in the form of paper strips, which are impregnated reacting to the presence of HCG substance. The principle of their action is absolutely simple: lower the strip for ten seconds in a jar with urine, wait about 5 minutes and see if two red dashes have appeared. If so, then, most likely, you will soon become a mother. The sensitivity of pregnancy tests for this species is usually 20 or 25 mM / ml.

As a rule, they catch the level of hormones that is achieved in the female body a few days after the delay in menstruation, so it is useless to apply them before this time. This is the first generation of tests. It happens that they show distorted results. Especially unpleasant if it was determined the absence of pregnancy, but in fact it was. The strip could not fully absorb the liquid and distort the picture.

Despite this, they are very in demand. The price for such products ranges from 10 to 100 rubles.

2. II generation - a cassette test for pregnancy. Sensitivity 15, 20 is the most common marking on it. Looks like products such as a case where a paper test is put in the form of a strip. On the case there are 2 windows. In the first, urine enters the pipette entering the package, it comes in contact with the reagent available there, and the result will be visible in the second in three or four minutes. This type of test is more expensive (60-150 rubles), but the quality is not very different from the usual paper. A more sensitive product can reveal your interesting state a few days before the start of the critical days.

If you very much wait for the onset of pregnancy and want to leave the displayed two dashes for memory, then with this instance you will be able to do this. In addition, it looks beautiful.

3. Inkjet test for pregnancy. The sensitivity of 10 or 20 is its standard. This is the most accurate version of the test, the last, the third generation, the price for it is quite high, fluctuating between 150-300 rubles.

It contains a special layer of blue reagents, which, when detecting hCG in the female urine, attach to them and show their presence in a minute. To carry out diagnostics, it is not necessary to use containers and pipettes, it is simply substituted for urine, the reliability of the result does not depend on the time at which the procedure is performed.

This pregnancy test of high sensitivity gives a chance to determine an interesting position already on the 6th day after conception.

A variant of the inkjet is an electronic test. The price for it is the highest - 200-1000 rubles, and the only difference is that instead of the appearance of strips, which need to look closely, he issues the word "pregnant", that is, "pregnancy."

The Reasons for False Indicators

Failures in the results can occur for various reasons. The main ones are:

• The procedure for holding was not followed;
• Incorrectly stored;
• Was conducted very early;
• A woman has abnormalities in the ovaries;
• A month or two after the birth in the blood can still be hCG;
• Presence of tumors;
• A large volume of liquids drunk the day before.

If the analysis draws the desired dashes, it is advisable to consult a medical specialist as soon as possible, which will either confirm the pregnancy or send it for examination to determine the cause of the false positive result.

Choose the best option

When choosing a test, the decisive factor is at what stage you want to find your interesting position. If before the delay of critical days, then you should purchase more sensitive products labeled 10, 15 mMe / ml. If you have already reached a delay, you can buy a more economical paper test for pregnancy. The sensitivity of 20, 25 and below with a high degree of probability will correctly show your state.

Numerous researches of the Russian market of consumers of this product testify that the following tests are in great demand:

1. Paper strips with a sensitivity of 20-25: BB (BB), Frautest Express, Evitest No. 1 (pregnancy will be detected from 3 days delay).
2. Cassette, sensitivity 20, 15: Evitest Proof, Frautest Expert (determine an interesting position on the 8-14 days after conception).
3. Ink, sensitivity 10, 20: ClearBlue (electronic), FRAUTEST EXCLUSIVE. Are able to determine the onset of pregnancy from 6 days after the occurred conception.

These models are referred to as those that rarely give false results. Well-proven products of the Russian production "Be sure" (Bee sure). It is very popular, largely due to the fact that this is a pregnancy test, the price for which is available to almost everyone and is 10-15 rubles, and the results are generally reliable.

Summing up, I would like to note: if the highly sensitive test did not show an interesting situation, and you conducted it 6-7 days after the eventual conception, do not despair. This may mean that it's still very early, and the level of hCG has not reached the amount that can catch your sample products. Be patient and repeat the test after two or three days. Since the hCG index changes significantly after just 2 days. The same rule applies to a less sensitive (with the indicated 25 or 30 mMe / ml indicator) pregnancy test. The period that passed after conception may not be sufficient for this product, and the other manufacturer will not fail and show the coveted 2 strips.