Pregnancy Test
Reviewed
Also called: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Test, HCG Test, Qualitative hCG Blood Test, Quantitative hCG Blood Test, Beta-hCG Urine Test, Total Chorionic Gonadotropin
A pregnancy test checks your urine or blood for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone made by the placenta after a fertilized egg attaches to the uterus. It can tell whether you are pregnant.
Specimen: Urine or Blood
Why this test may be ordered
- To find out if you are pregnant
- To confirm pregnancy before medical treatments that could harm a fetus
- To monitor pregnancy if you have a high risk of miscarriage
- To check for ectopic pregnancy or molar pregnancy
- As part of prenatal screening for certain fetal conditions
Preparation and collection
For a urine test, do not drink large amounts of fluid before collecting your sample, as it could dilute hCG. If you are taking fertility drugs, talk to your provider if you get a positive result. No special preparation is needed for a blood test.
For a home urine test, follow the kit instructions: hold the test stick in your urine stream or dip it into a collected urine sample. For a blood test, a health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm.
There is no known risk to having a urine test. There is very little risk to having a blood test; you may have slight pain or bruising at the needle site, but most symptoms go away quickly.
Understanding results
Your results will show whether hCG was found in your sample. A positive result usually means you are pregnant, but false results are possible. Discuss your results with your healthcare provider.
- Positive (hCG detected): You are likely pregnant. hCG was found in your sample. Limitation: A false-positive can occur, especially if you are taking fertility medicines. Your provider may do another test to confirm. Next step: See your provider as soon as possible to confirm the pregnancy and begin prenatal care.
- Negative (hCG not detected): You may not be pregnant. hCG was not found in your sample. Limitation: A false-negative can happen if you test too soon after conception, before hCG levels are high enough to detect. Next step: If you still think you might be pregnant, repeat the test in about a week. If you get two negative results but still have symptoms, call your provider.
- Home urine tests are 97-99% accurate when done a week or two after a missed period, but false-negatives can occur if tested too early.
- False-positive results can happen, especially with fertility medications.
- Blood tests can detect very small amounts of hCG and may show pregnancy before a missed period, but they are less commonly used because urine tests are faster and cheaper.
- Quantitative blood tests measure exact hCG levels and can help monitor pregnancy health, but they are not routine for initial pregnancy detection.
What to do next
If you get a positive result, see your provider as soon as possible to confirm and start prenatal care. If you get a negative result but still have pregnancy symptoms, repeat the test in a week or contact your provider. Always discuss your results with a healthcare professional.
- When did you last have your period?
- Have you taken any fertility medications?
- Do you have any symptoms of pregnancy, such as nausea, breast tenderness, or fatigue?
- Have you had a previous ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage?
- Are you experiencing any unusual pain or bleeding?