February marks pregnancy awareness week.

Early pregnancy detection is important for improving pregnancy outcomes as the first trimester is a critical window of foetal development.

Are you wondering if you might be pregnant?  The only way to know for sure is by taking a pregnancy test.

Pregnancy tests detects a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine or blood.  This hormone is made right after a fertilized egg attaches to the wall of a woman’s uterus.  Once the egg implants in the uterine lining, the placenta produces hCG.

There are two main types of pregnancy tests that can indicate if you are pregnant: blood tests and urine tests.

Urine tests is done at home or in a doctor’s office.  Blood tests can be requested by a doctor from a laboratory but are used less often than urine tests.  Blood pregnancy tests can detect pregnancy earlier than a urine pregnancy test, however with these tests it takes longer to get the results than with a urine pregnancy test.

A positive result indicates that you are pregnant.  This is true no matter how faint the line, colour or sign.  If you get a positive result you should make an appointment with your doctor or visit the clinic to discuss the next steps.

In very rare cases you can have a false-positive result.  You could have a false-positive result if blood or protein is present in your urine.  Certain medication such as some fertility medication or other medication that contains hCG, may cause false-positive results.  Biochemical pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, menopause or problems with your ovaries might also contribute to misleading test results.

If you get a negative result you are likely not pregnant.  However, you may still be pregnant if:

• the test is past its expiration date,
• you didn’t follow the instructions correctly,
• you tested too soon,
• your urine is too diluted (because you drank large amounts of fluids right before the test), or
• you are taking certain medications such as diuretics.

For more information read What is a pregnancy test and how does it work and Useful information on pregnancy tests.