Home pregnancy tests do claim accuracy rates of 99%. But there is a catch. Pregnancy test accuracy rates are time dependent.
It is only after the missed period day passes that these pregnancy tests can detect pregnancy. That is why you need to gauge pregnancy test accuracy based on how early they acquire that.
Pregnancy test accuracy is one of the first things you must consider while buying a pregnancy test. You must never compromise on the accuracy of a pregnancy test. Pregnancy tests sensitivity for hCG levels determines the pregnancy test accuracy.
What is the accuracy of a home pregnancy test?
The accuracy of pregnancy tests needs a standard to compare. One can say that home pregnancy tests are 99% accurate on the day of missed period.
The First Response Pregnancy Test is the most accurate pregnancy test. It can detect pregnancy six days before missed period.
Similarly, Clearblue pregnancy test is also reasonably accurate.
In our research, we found other pregnancy tests comparatively less accurate. But we won’t generalize that cheap pregnancy tests are less accurate.
Some pregnancy tests like Dollar pregnancy test are cheap and accurate as well. The only caveat is that they take time to achieve a decent accuracy rate.
How accurate are home pregnancy tests?
Statistical analysis revealed that home pregnancy tests don’t surpass accuracies of 80%. However, it was not verified so it is not reliable.
Pregnancy Blood tests and other hospital pregnancy tests are 100% accurate. Doctors determine the level of hCG in blood to detect pregnancy. A blood test is 100% accurate pregnancy test. But it is not feasible to pay a hefty sum every time your period skips a day to return back for the next.
Home pregnancy tests are a cheaper alternative to accurate but expensive pregnancy tests.
Most accurate pregnancy tests may be the hospital and blood pregnancy tests, but home pregnancy tests lag behind only by 1%.
And they come for only one-fourth of the money you need to get a hospital appointment for an accurate pregnancy test.
Most accurate home pregnancy tests
Digital pregnancy tests accuracy is more than traditional pregnancy tests.
It is mandatory that a woman crosses 25 mIU/mL hCG for being pregnant. So detecting a lower level of hCG would only predict an impending pregnancy.
A digital pregnancy test is not accurate because it can detect hCG levels more precisely. Its accuracy is more because it minimizes the human errors.
Urine pregnancy test’s accuracy is lower than blood pregnancy test accuracy.
First Response pregnancy test
First Response pregnancy test accuracy is over 99% six days before missed period. It is the only home pregnancy test with more than 99% accuracy.
Moreover, the accuracy of First Response Pregnancy Test is beyond 99% six days earlier. It shows that First Response pregnancy test will be nearly as accurate as pregnancy blood test on the day of missed period.
It is the first HPT in the list of most accurate pregnancy tests.
Clearblue pregnancy test accuracy
Clearblue pregnancy test accuracy is nearly of the same level. The Clearblue Advanced pregnancy test can detect pregnancy and even figure out the duration of pregnancy. The Clearblue digital pregnancy test accuracy is also over 99%.
Dollar tree pregnancy test accuracy
Dollar tree pregnancy tests are popular as Dollar pregnancy test. Its accuracy is 97-98% after the day of missed period. They come for only 1$.
Yet they can match the accuracy rates of most accurate pregnancy tests. Another point here is that you get around 10 98% accurate Dollar pregnancy test in the price paid for one expensive HPT.
You can repeat the pregnancy test 9 times and then confirm your pregnancy. It almost covers the entire month if you space the pregnancy tests well.
Dollar tree pregnancy test accuracy beats the accuracy of home pregnancy tests.
EPT pregnancy test accuracy
EPT is an in-between solution. It is not as cheap as Dollar pregnancy test nor as expensive as First Response Pregnancy Test. So you have an easy way to get the pregnancy test accuracy.
EPT pregnancy tests have similar accuracy rates of pregnancy tests. They are low prices variants of expensive pregnancy tests.
EPT pregnancy test accuracy is around 99% when the expected accuracy of pregnancy test is merely 54%.
The accuracy of pregnancy test 6 days earlier than the missed period is only 54%. But the pregnancy tests manage to reach a whopping 99%.
Baking soda pregnancy test accuracy
Homemade Pregnancy Tests also are known as DIY pregnancy tests lag behind in accuracy. It is more matter of chance when you take a Homemade Pregnancy Test. A homemade Pregnancy Test accuracy rates differ significantly from person to person.
Baking soda pregnancy test accuracy is around 97% after few days from missed period. If you are lucky, you might detect early pregnancy with baking soda pregnancy test.
The accuracy of homemade pregnancy tests is far less than urine pregnancy test accuracy.
What affects the accuracy of a pregnancy test?
The accuracy of pregnancy test is also affected by the user and her skill. Home pregnancy test accuracy is something that may even vary from person to person.
While a woman might not be able to detect pregnancy until a week after her missed period, others might do that before missing period. Home pregnancy test accuracy greatly depends on how well you perform the test.
Another factor that decides pregnancy test accuracy is the timing of pregnancy test.
When to take a pregnancy test?
For best accuracy of pregnancy test, you must wait until a week after missed period. Women who are content with 99% accuracy can take the pregnancy test next day of missed period.
Taking the pregnancy test during implantation bleeding is not a good idea. Pregnancy test after implantation is another way to get accurate results. It is because after implantation the placenta starts producing hCG.
A normal woman takes about a week to pick up enough hCG levels. This means that you must wait until two weeks after ovulation to take the pregnancy test.
Pregnancy test after sex is again staking your happiness. You can very predictably get a false negative result if you take the pregnancy test then.
When should I take the pregnancy test for best accuracy?
If you are testing pregnancy early then take a pregnancy test at morning. The urine has low hCG levels during early pregnancy.
The early morning urine sample still has enough hCG for detection by accurate pregnancy tests. Pregnancy test accuracy will be significantly affected if you randomly take any urine for pregnancy test.
Overnight your urine concentrates and still is a large volume. If you assume that you can concentrate the urine during the day by not drinking water or something, then the amount will be insufficient.
Early morning urine is best for pregnancy test accuracy.
Can medications interfere with pregnancy tests?
Any medication that has hCG or any component that elevates hCG can interfere with the pregnancy test. They can give a false positive pregnancy test.
The hCG levels rise due to reasons other tags pregnancy. But home pregnancy tests are qualitative and thus only detect hCG presence.
Other than fertility drugs rarely other medications affect pregnancy test accuracy. Birth control pills, Zoloft, and AZO are prescriptions for different problems. None of them changes pregnancy test accuracy.
What causes a false pregnancy test result?
A false pregnancy test is because of many reasons. You can both be pregnant and get a false negative result. It can be that you are not pregnant and yet you get a false positive pregnancy test.
Could a positive pregnancy test result be wrong? A positive pregnancy test can be wrong if hCG levels rise due to other reasons. You may not perform the test correctly and get a false positive pregnancy test.
Can you get a false positive pregnancy test? You can get a false positive pregnancy test if you leave the test too long. Evaporation lines also cause false positive pregnancy test.
Could a negative pregnancy test result be wrong? A negative pregnancy test taken too early can be wrong. Some women take more than average time to produce enough hCG and thus they can get a false negative pregnancy test.
Also in case, the female has a more prolonged menstrual cycle of around 30 days she may get negative pregnancy test which will be wrong. In her case, all the early stages of pregnancy will take longer to reach.
Can you get a false negative pregnancy test?
You can get a false negative pregnancy test if your pregnancy test accuracy is low. Pregnancy test accuracy less than 90% can give false negative pregnancy test. Also if your pregnancy test is not sensitive enough, then you’ll get a false negative result.
Pregnancy test accuracy is the most frequently asked question about pregnancy tests. You must always check the byline written after the accuracy of pregnancy test you choose.
