Post Date December, 03 2023
Although the early pregnancy test strip claims to have a 99% accuracy, you must not overly trust your self test results. According to expert statistics, the correct testing rate of early pregnancy test strips varies greatly, ranging from 50% to 98%.
Why is there such a big difference? Gynecological experts point out that women conducting self tests at home without any external guidance can only achieve an accuracy rate of 50% to 75% in general. If such tests are conducted in front of a doctor in the laboratory, the doctor can ensure that the test paper is working properly, and women can accurately use the test paper according to the instructions, the test accuracy may be close to 100%.
The manufacturer of early pregnancy test strips and self-test lenses claims: "In the laboratory, it has been confirmed that the accuracy of today's early pregnancy test strips is as high as 99%. However, when women use early pregnancy test strips, it is important to follow the instructions meticulously to ensure that the test results are correct and reliable." However, in actual operation, using the instructions correctly is not an easy task.
The instructions of some early pregnancy test papers read as follows: "urinate at one end of the self-test card so that the absorption tip is downward and the display window is not facing the body, so as to avoid urine splashing on it." Some early pregnancy test papers also guide users to "hold the urine burette and drop three drops of urine 3 cm above the urine dish at the bottom of the test paper." If you read the details of these instructions carefully several times and think it over and over again, There may not be any problems. However, for a woman who is nervous and panicked due to fear, mistakes are inevitable due to her inability to calmly and patiently follow the instructions. Moreover, the test results are also very confusing, whether it is color response or line response, it is difficult to explain.
In addition, there are other obstacles to obtaining accurate test results. Like a professional medical test. The working principle of self testing is to detect the HCG value, which is the value of human chorionic gonadotropin. This hormone is produced by the placenta. It usually appears in urine after a few days. But due to the small quantity. It was not easy to test until it became increasingly apparent from 10 to 14 days later. HCG values can also be measured through blood tests, and are much more accurate. Although many early pregnancy test strips indicate that women can take self tests after missing a normal menstrual period for one day. But in reality. Not all women emit HCG hormones at the same rate and in the same amount, which varies from person to person. Premature urine testing may result in incorrect negative reactions, "said an obstetrics and gynecology expert. So, it's best to conduct a self test two weeks after the deadline, as the results will be more reliable.
If self testing is done in the evening, the accuracy will also be affected to some extent. Because early rising urine generally has the highest HCG value. Many early pregnancy test strips do not specify the best time of day for testing. Generally speaking, the most accurate results can be obtained by measuring the urine that is excreted for the first time in the morning. Although positive results do not have the same high misdiagnosis rate as negative results, there are also many non factors that can lead to positive test results, such as blood in the urine, recent symptoms such as (HCG hormone can be detected after miscarriage or 8 weeks of childbirth), ovarian tumors, or taking some fertility drugs.
Nevertheless, most women blindly believe in the power of early pregnancy test strips, and the annual sales of early pregnancy test strips are staggering. Doctors even rely on this type of test paper to determine whether a patient is pregnant, and incorrect test results can lead to doctors prescribing drugs that are not suitable for use, such as strong acne drugs, which can lead to physiological defects. Whether the result is negative or positive, erroneous test results are harmful. Women who mistakenly believe they don't have them through self testing may continue to smoke, drink alcohol, receive X-rays, or take inappropriate drugs, all of which are harmful to the embryo. As for those women who try their best, a false positive result will make them happy and emotionally suffer greatly.
If you expect to improve the accuracy of self testing, then follow the following methods.
1. Pay attention to the production date on the packaging box and do not use expired test cards, as chemical agents will become invalid over time.
2. To reduce the probability of inaccurate testing, it is necessary to carefully read the instructions on the test card before going to the bathroom for specific operations, and then carefully follow the instructions.
3. If you are unsure about the test results, it is best to call a doctor for consultation and complete the test under their guidance. For example, if you drink too much water and dilute your urine, the doctor will tell you not to retest. If the test result is positive but not very obvious, you should assume that you are yourself and go to the hospital for a check-up.
4. If the self test result is negative and there is still a trend after 1 week, you should do another self test. If it's not negative, it's best to see a doctor.
5. The most important thing is to believe in one's own body. If your symptoms tell you they are gone or not, regardless of the self-test results, it should be considered that there may be errors in the self-test and it is best to go to the hospital for examination. The symptoms of early pregnancy include nausea and vomiting, fatigue and fatigue, frequent urination, breast distension, partial appetite, drowsiness, etc.
