Do you think you may be pregnant? The only way to know for sure is to confirm your pregnancy with your physician but another option is to test in the privacy of your own home. Home pregnancy tests are generally inexpensive and readily available at your local pharmacy.

A home pregnancy test determines whether or not you are indeed pregnant by the detection of the pregnancy hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin). This human chorionic gonadotrophin hormone is measured in milli-international units per milliliter, (mIU). You need to be careful when purchasing a home pregnancy test as certain tests are meant to detect higher levels of hCG then others. If you take a less sensitive pregnancy test it could produce a false negative, when you are really pregnant. Certain medications may also affect the results of your pregnancy test.

hCG levels can be detected about 12-14 days after conception by a urine test. Also please remember that hCG levels can vary dramatically from one pregnancy to another.

Before taking a pregnancy test make sure you take the time to read the instructions closely and be sure to read the test within the given time frame. If you read a pregnancy test outside of the given time line it could produce a false positive.

Although home pregnancy test are 98-99% accurate, according to the instructions, it is important to have your pregnancy confirmed by a blood test. By having a blood test and confirming your pregnancy your physician will be able to help you on your journey to a happy nine months!