If you suspect that you are pregnant, it is best to get confirmation through pregnancy test kits before consulting a Doctor or telling anyone.  Today’s modern women want to know if they are pregnant or not immediately, even before they start missing their periods.  If a woman is pregnant, it is better if they know from the very start, since pregnancy is a serious matter.  Aside from that, a visit to the obstetrician can be very expensive, compared to the affordability of these tests -– which is a good thing, especially for those who do not have insurance to back them up.

Sometimes it is better to do the tests at home, where you are comfortable, instead of in the Doctor’s Clinic, where it can take a little more time.  Aside from that, most women want to know their results privately.  Most pregnancy test kits costs less than a dollar and clear instructions on how to do the tests are given on the kit packaging, so you do not really need to have training or special knowledge to use them.

Using home pregnancy tests also gives the advantage of an early detection.  In just five minutes, you can determine if you are pregnant or not. Earlier detection allows you as an expectant mother to begin your prenatal care earlier, and this can be very beneficial to you, as a mother, and to your baby.  Early detection can also give you more time to determine what you plan to do -– especially if it is an unplanned pregnancy.

Most pregnancy test kits use + or – signs for results while some can only indicate positive results.  But other kits show fading lines so this can cause confusion.  The tests are able to determine if you are pregnant or not, through your human chronic gonadotropin (HCG) which is also known as the “pregnancy hormone”, since it only exists during pregnancy.  HCG is formed after six days of the conception and is produced in your placenta when the embryo attaches to the uterus.  It then becomes present in your urine and blood, which allows the pregnancy test to give positive or negative results.

To reduce the chances of getting inaccurate results, it is suggested that you take the test early in the morning since the morning urine is found to have the most concentrated levels of HCG.  The best time to use the home pregnancy test is at least five days before the start of your next period or seven to ten days of ovulation.

Most home pregnancy test kits are highly accurate, provided that you are following the instructions clearly, and that you are not taking the test too early.

You should beware of amazingly cheap kits that are usually sold in plastic bags.  Make sure that they are FDA approved kits, and that it is regulated by the US government.  You can also ask your pharmacist to give you pregnancy test kits to make sure that you also get accurate results.