If you're trying to conceive (TTC), you want to know whether you're pregnant as soon as possible so you can start taking care of your baby and preparing for their arrival. You're probably wondering just how accurate home pregnancy tests really are, especially those early, digital tests that can give you an answer even before you miss a period.
The good news? Home pregnancy test kits have come a long way since their early days, and are now more accurate and easier to use than ever. Digital tests such as FIRST RESPONSE Gold can detect pregnancy hormones in your urine as soon as six days before your cycle is set to begin, and its accuracy increases every day thereafter.
Accuracy By Day of Early Pregnancy Tests
Early result pregnancy tests give you an answer before you've even missed a period. FIRST RESPONSE™ Digital Pregnancy Test detected pregnancy hormone levels in 60% of pregnant women 5 days before their expected period. By 4 days before their expected period, the test was accurate at detecting pregnancy hormones for 86% of pregnant women, and the number increased to 96% of pregnant women 3 days before their expected period and more than 99% of pregnant women 2 days before, 1 day before, and on the day of their expected period. The closer you are to the expected start of your menstrual period, the more accurate early pregnancy tests become.
Why Accurate Tests and Early Pregnancy Detection Matters
The first few weeks of pregnancy are critical to fetal development, so early prenatal care is important to healthy birth weight and baby survival. The sooner you know you're pregnant, the sooner you can begin making healthy choices for yourself and your baby such as diet, nutrition and limiting your exposure to hazards.
Planning for a family is an exciting time. If you and your partner are thinking about taking this life-changing journey, the earlier you prepare for pregnancy, the better. Taking the right steps can help lead to a healthier, easier pregnancy for both you and your baby.
You Expect Accurate Results from Your Pregnancy Test
When the moment comes, you depend on pregnancy test accuracy. The most sensitive at-home pregnancy tests should be able to detect pregnancy before the first day of your missed period and should be able to identify more than one form of the pregnancy hormone, hCG. For example, they should be able to detect not only hCG, but also a variant of the pregnancy hormone, hyperglycosylated hCG or hCG-H.
In the earliest stages of pregnancy, the cells that originate when a fertilized egg implants in the uterine wall initially secrete the pregnancy hormone variant hCG-H. The primary pregnancy hormone, hCG, is produced following implantation by a different set of cells. Being able to detect the hCG variant as well as hCG means that a pregnancy test will be more accurate and pick up on the pregnancy hormones sooner.
FIRST RESPONSE™ pregnancy test's accuracy is unsurpassed. First to Detect™ technology detects lower levels of hCG in your urine. The more sensitive a pregnancy test is, the earlier you will know if you are pregnant. The FIRST RESPONSE™ Early Result Pregnancy Test can detect the pregnancy hormone earlier than any other at-home pregnancy test so you can get an early start on making healthy choices for both you and your baby.
It is important to note that some women may not have detectable amounts of pregnancy hormone in their urine until after the missed period. This is because hCG levels vary between women and because some women may have difficulty predicting the exact date of their next period.