Doing a pregnancy test at home is easy and convenient. Isn’t it? You just pee on a stick and find out if you expecting or not. But can you completely rely on these tests and do they always give correct results?
Though these tests are in use since 1976, there are several myths surrounding them raising questions on how accurate they are.
To clear the confusion, we are busting four myths about home pregnancy tests:
Myth: The test can confirm if you are expecting right away
Fact: According to a study, 97 per cent of these tests give an accurate result, but they won’t offer an immediate answer. This is because it can take around five days for a fertilized egg to implant itself to the uterus. It is at this point that the body starts producing hCG, which helps the test kits predict your pregnancy.
In fact, it might take another week before there is enough hCG to catch on the pregnancy stick. So, if you have sex and take a pregnancy test a few days later it can still show a negative outcome, despite you being
pregnant. So it’s best to wait for at least a week after missed periods for accurate results
Myth: Nothing can trip up a home pregnancy test result
Fact: Things like exercise, foods that you eat, stress, smoking and drinking cannot affect the production of hCG once the egg is implanted. But there are certain fertility medicines that have hCG too, which can lead to false results.
Myth: You don’t need to spend money, there are many cheap and natural ways to test pregnancy
Fact: Alternative medicines have made a big comeback and you might completely want to skip going to the pharmacy and turn to the kitchen instead. But the truth is that all the old wives tales from inserting an onion in your lady parts to peeing on a dandelion stick are unreliable and unsafe methods. Moreover, there is nothing beside the hCG in the urine that can predict your pregnancy.
There is nothing beside the hCG in the urine that can predict if you are pregnant. No natural method is going to tell if you are pregnant until it can detect or measure hCG levels.
Myth: Urine test can reveal the gender of the baby
Fact: Many of us are too eager to find of the sex of the baby. However, at home tests that claim to reveal the sex of your baby are no more than a gimmick. There are no sex hormones in the urine that can tell the gender of your baby.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article should not be considered as a substitute for a physician's advice. Please consult your treating physician for more details.
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