Pregnancy Test (Urine)

A pregnancy test is taken to determine whether a female is pregnant or not. This is done by assessing whether or not Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG), a hormone, is present in the woman’s urine. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is produced by the placenta, which is the organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy. It appears shortly after the implantation has occurred, that is, the embryo is attached to the uterus wall.

HCG is detectable in the blood about 1 week after conception

The pregnancy test is prescribed: To determine whether she is pregnant, To diagnose abnormal conditions that may cause HCG levels to go up.

Less often, the pregnancy test can be used for the following purposes: To identify or rule out an ectopic pregnancy, a condition when a fertilised egg attaches or implants in an abnormal area of the female reproductive system and causes problems, To check for pregnancy before surgery or any other medical treatments, As a part of prenatal screening to check for Down’s Syndrome (a genetic condition), To monitor a pregnancy that may have high chances of a miscarriage, To help diagnose and look for pregnancy-related tumours.

Other Names of The Pregnancy Test

• Urine HCG Test
• Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Test (urine)
• UPT (Urine Pregnancy Test)

What Does This Test Detect and Who is Pregnancy Test Prescribed For?

A pregnancy test detects the presence of the HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) hormone in the urine. This hormone is produced by a woman’s placenta after fertilisation.

Urine pregnancy tests can be performed at home, though they can also be performed at the doctor’s office/ pathology lab. This test can help detect pregnancy after a week of missed periods.

This test is prescribed for a sexually active female who is suspected to be pregnant and has symptoms like

• Missed Periods
• Nausea and vomiting (this is generally referred to as morning sickness).
• Swollen and tender breasts.
• A feeling of bloating in the abdomen.
• A need to urinate frequently.

A urine pregnancy test is also taken by women who are trying to get pregnant or in cases where the birth-control methods have failed. This test is also used to rule out pregnancy before undergoing surgery or other medical procedures.

How can I test for pregnancy at home?

There are many home pregnancy test kits that can be used to detect pregnancy at home, pour your urine sample into a cup. Deposit a few drops of the urine sample on the chemical strip.

A home pregnancy kit is usually provided with a card and dropper. You have to deposit a few drops of your urine into the prepared well of the card. The results will be displayed on the card as a colour change on the indicator strips in a few minutes either positive or negative.

In a home pregnancy test kit, you can simply interpret the results based on the information provided.

• A positive result means the female is pregnant. Sometimes, false-positive results may occur due to various reasons, for example, if the person is taking hormonal supplements. A positive test result will be indicated by two lines on the stick.
• A negative result means that the female is not pregnant. A negative test result will be indicated by one line on the stick.

Please confirm the results with a lab test and consult a doctor for further management.

If HCG is detected in the urine of the female, it indicates pregnancy which can be confirmed with clinical correlation.

High HCG levels can also be detected in germ cell tumours (tumours of reproductive cells)

Very high HCG can be indicative of abnormal growth in the placenta

The test results should be interpreted with clinical correlation by a doctor.

For this test, you need to collect the first urine sample in the sterile container provided by the lab and send it to the lab for testing.

Pregnancy Test Preparation

The pregnancy test should generally use the sample from the first time you urinate in the morning. The urine sample can be deposited in a cup.

Test Inclusions: What Parameters Are Included?

This test measures the presence of the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin hormone in the urine.

The pregnancy test measures the level of the HCG hormone in the sample. The placenta secretes HCG. Once a female conceives, the placenta starts developing. The HCG hormone appears in the urine in very little time after the embryo attaches to the uterus wall.

The qualitative urine pregnancy tests are variable in sensitivity. High-sensitivity tests are more common and usually detect HCG levels between 20-50 milli-international units/mL (mIU/mL).

How Frequently Should You Take Pregnancy Test?

This test should be taken if there is reason to suspect you are pregnant.  This is usually when a woman has missed her period after having had sexual intercourse.

Your doctor can advise this test to evaluate other conditions like reproductive cell (germ cell) tumour, abnormal growth in the uterus or placenta (trophoblastic disease)

Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Ectopic pregnancy, Germ cell tumour