How Soon Can a Pregnancy Test Read Positive?

If you suspect you may be unexpectedly pregnant, you will likely be anxious to get results as soon as possible. 

Pregnancy tests vary in accuracy and timing. Some claim they can detect a pregnancy days before a missed period, while others are limited to several days after a missed period.

How Do At-Home Pregnancy Tests Work?

These tests identify the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. The reliability of at-home pregnancy tests can differ across brands. Certain tests have a higher sensitivity to hCG, resulting in more precise results. 

Most at-home pregnancy tests claim to be 99% accurate if you take them on the first day of your missed menstrual period. 

The best time to take an at-home pregnancy test is a few days after you miss your period or about three weeks after you’ve had sex. Waiting will give your body enough time to build up hCG, ensuring a more accurate result.

Common Missteps With At-Home Tests

Most home pregnancy tests are straightforward and have easy-to-follow instructions, but it’s still possible to mess them up and get an inaccurate result. Here are some tips to avoid common mistakes when using a home pregnancy test:

• Don’t rush to take the test too soon. Wait for your period to be late, then test 1-7 days later. If your periods are all over the place, wait 21 days after sex to take the test.
• Stick to the time limit for reading the test mentioned in the instructions. Pregnancy tests can show evaporation lines if you look at them too long after taking the test, usually within 10 minutes. These lines appear as the pee dries and might look like a positive result but aren’t.
• Don’t soak the test. Putting too much urine on the test can lead to evaporation lines that look like a positive result.

Even with perfect usage of at-home tests, false positives and negatives can happen. Luckily, you can get lab-quality pregnancy tests with MyLife Medical & Resource Center.

Get A No-Cost Test Today

You don’t have to rely on at-home tests to determine whether you are pregnant. At MyLife Medical & Resource Center, we can administer a lab-quality pregnancy test to ensure you get the most accurate and reliable results.  

If you receive a positive result, we can confirm your pregnancy with a limited ultrasound to determine if you have a viable (growing with a heartbeat) pregnancy. 

By scheduling an appointment today, get these pregnancy services and more at no cost to you.