While surfing online, you may have come across many sites that offer an online pregnancy test to confirm your pregnancy. However, does an online pregnancy test really work, or is it just a hoax? Go through this HerHaleness article to know more.
Did You Know?
The most accurate ways to confirm pregnancy are blood tests, which are almost 99.9% accurate, and urine tests, which have an accuracy of about 97%.
You are most likely to turn to online pregnancy tests if you are eager to know whether you are pregnant or not, and can’t wait till you visit a doctor or undergo medical tests. The anxiety and impatience of finding the results quickly may lead you to take these tests. However, an online pregnancy test cannot accurately determine whether you are pregnant or not. An accurate determination and confirmation can be done only with the help of medical tests performed by a doctor.
Information that these pregnancy tests require
The most basic questions that these pregnancy tests ask are about your age, menstrual cycle, its regularity, and the date you had unprotected sex. Some questions may refer to the early symptoms of pregnancy that you may experience. These may include nausea, vomiting, food cravings or change in eating habits, fatigue, backache, feeling lightheaded etc. Information about the stress levels you experience, or the contraceptives you use may also be asked. Some tests ask about symptoms such as bloating, soreness or swelling of the breasts. Some online tests are better than others and ask more detailed questions like a medical practitioner, and may promise to provide more accurate answers.
Results of online pregnancy tests
Depending on the date of your menstrual cycle and some simple calculations based on the date you had intercourse, these online pregnancy tests will determine whether you are pregnant or not.
An important point to remember while taking the online pregnancy test or quiz is that it is just a probability that these tests indicate. These tests cannot be relied on, and do not accurately confirm a pregnancy. They just give a possible or probable result. These tests cannot replace actual blood or urine tests that detect the human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG hormone produced by a woman’s body during pregnancy.
If these tests give a positive result, then you may use a home pregnancy test kit (HPT). These kits claim that they can accurately detect a pregnancy before the following menstrual period. However, if the tests come out negative, you may wait for a week or so after your menstrual date and then repeat the test. For confirmation of a pregnancy, you need to visit a doctor who will conduct urine and blood tests for the same.
Types of online tests
There are various types of pregnancy tests available online and some are quite amusing, but they should not be taken seriously. You can easily tell the difference by the ways and types of questions that these tests ask. Any test that offers a body-scan, and tells you the sex as well as the father of the baby, is just for amusement purposes. If you want to have a laugh or two, you may try these tests.
A word of caution
Your irregular cycles may be misinterpreted by such online pregnancy tests. Also, if you have a missed period along with abdominal cramps or pelvic pain, it is best to visit a doctor as soon as possible. Also, if your periods are irregular, there may also be some underlying problem that needs to be diagnosed. If it is an unwanted pregnancy, a healthcare professional will be able to guide you and suggest whatever is best for you.
The only step that can take you closer to confirming your pregnancy is a urine or blood test. Pregnancy is a life changing process, and hence, get your doctor’s advice so as to know what is healthy for you and your baby.
