How to do a home pregnant test

If you miss a period and want to quickly check if you are pregnant, before you visit your doctor, try the home pregnancy test. This is is especially convenient for women who are trying to get pregnant. You can buy test kits at a drug store without a prescription.
Home use kits measure a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. However, these tests are qualitative, the results are either positive or negative for pregnancy. This hormone appears in a pregnant woman's urine, approximately 20 days after her last menstrual period. The levels then rise rapidly, reaching a peak in the next 60 to 80 days.

How to do the test?

Try to perform the test first thing in the morning for optimal results, though this is not mandatory.
1. Pregnancy tests are usually stored in the refrigerator. So, make sure you bring the test kit to room temperature before you use it.
2. Collect urine in a clean, dry glass or plastic container. Ensure that there is no detergent residue in the container.
3. Take out the pregcolor card (see image below) and place it on a flat surface.
Draw out a little urine with a dropper (provided with the kit) and put just two drops in the circular test well that is usually marked 'S'. Do not spill urine on the reading strip.
4. Wait for three to five minutes (depending on manufacturer's instructions) and then read the test results. Trying to read the results before the stipulated time or waiting too long, can both lead to inaccurate readings.
5. Some newly launched pregnancy test kits (for example, Clearview) can be held directly in the urine stream and do not require you to collect urine in a container. These kits are usually more expensive (around Rs 150).

How to get the result?

1. Look at the regions marked 'C' and 'T' on the test card. 'C' indicates a control. This band must always appear because this is the comparison band. 'T' indicates the test sample.
2. If only one pink/purple band appear, in the region marked 'C', it means that the test is negative for pregnancy.
3. If two pink/purple bands appear, one in the region marked 'C' and the other in the region marked 'T', it means that the test is positive for pregnancy
4. In case no bands appear, then the test is invalid. Repeat the test with a new pack of pregcolor cards after 72 hours.
5. If the line formed in region 'T' is faint, this could be due to low levels of hCG hormone. In case of a faint band, repeat the test with a new pack of pregcolor cards after 72 hours.

It is advisable to wait a couple of days to a week after missing your period, before you perform the test. This will help avoid a falsely negative test.

The most sensitive test of pregnancy is best performed by a laboratory using a sample of your blood. These tests not only detect hCG but also can indicate the amount (quantitative tests) of the hormone, which doubles every 2-3 days during the first several weeks of pregnancy. These more sensitive tests can tell how long you have been pregnant and even detect possible problems with the pregnancy. Your health care provider can perform this test.
Initially, many women prefer the privacy, convenience, and quick results from home test kits. Home pregnancy tests are not as accurate as blood tests done by your health care provider. They also cannot determine if your pregnancy is developing as expected.