Pregnancy Test, Urine Test

Urine pregnancy test is a test done to know if a woman is pregnant. This test is based on the levels human chorionic gonadotropin hormone present in the urine of a woman. The level of this hormone in the urine sample is tested via this test which helps to know if the woman is pregnant or not. This human chorionic gonadotropin is secreted from the syncytiotrophoblast cells of the fertilized ovum. Therefore the level of the hormone is high in the urine of pregnant woman. The urinary pregnancy test is therefore a qualitative test testing the presence of the hormone.

Women of a reproductive age group that is women who are in age group of 15yrs to 45yrs who have missed their period usually undergo this pregnancy test. Pregnancy is one of most common cause of amenorrhea in women of reproductive age group. The urine pregnancy test can be performed very easily by the patient herself at home. The patient will have read all instructions on pregnancy test kit very carefully. Note of the expiry date of the kit should be done. Large amounts of water should not be consumed before performing the test as this can dilute the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin in the urine and give false negative results.

A Urinary pregnancy test is a handiest and inexpensive test to detect pregnancy in women. If amenorrhea is due to pregnancy, the cause is known in case of positive results. In case the test results are negative, the patient will undergo further investigations to know the cause for amenorrhea. Drugs such as diuretics and antihistamines can give false negative results. Drugs such as hypnotics and tranquilizers can give false positive results.

Urine pregnancy test strips are a very handy method of testing pregnancy for a woman at home all by herself. But the results of the test should be confirmed by ultrasound. Pregnancy test done after 10-14 days after the missed period will give more accurate results. Early morning urine sample should be used for the test. The urine which is passed first as soon one wakes up should be collected for the test. This urine is dropped on the test strip. Wait for 5-10 minutes for the results to appear. There will a colour indicator on the strip which will indicate the result of the test.