Pregnancy Tests: HSA Eligibility

What are pregnancy tests?

A pregnancy test is a take-home test that reads the urine's concentration of human Chorionic Gondotrophin, or HCG. HCG is a hormone that is produced when a woman becomes pregnant, and it reaches its highest concentration between weeks 8 to 11 of pregnancy. HCG levels subsequently drop around weeks 12 and 16. False negatives are more likely to occur in a pregnancy test, as opposed to a false positive. A pregnancy test is most accurate when taken on the first day of a missed period. Excessive fluid intake (too much water, etc.) can dilute the individual's urine to the point that HCG levels become difficult to read by the pregnancy test. This would produce a false negative, for example, in some situations.

A woman who is taking fertility medications may produce a false positive result with a home pregnancy test due to the presence of HCG in many fertility medications. However, most medications including antibiotics will not affect the results of a home pregnancy test (American Pregnancy Association).

Pregnancy tests can be sold as digital versions that provide a result in words and electronic indicators that show that the test is working, in order to reduce confusion resulting from non-digital pregnancy tests wherein it may be difficult to tell if the test has been properly used.