How to choose a highly sensitive pregnancy test

The issue of pregnancy is one of the most important in the life of every woman. Some people are looking forward to the coveted two stripes, others are afraid to see them because life circumstances do not allow them to have a baby at the moment.

In both cases, pregnancy tests . This is a great opportunity to find out about the upcoming addition to the family by spending a couple of tens or hundreds of rubles at the nearest pharmacy.

But questions about the use of tests still plague many women. It’s difficult to navigate the variety of products on the market – which one is better and more accurate? The most popular question is: is it possible to use a test to determine the onset of pregnancy even before a delay ? Let's figure it out.

How do tests determine pregnancy?

Tests for home diagnostics of an “interesting situation” operate according to the same scheme - the reagent included in their composition determines the level of the hCG hormone in a woman’s urine. If pregnancy has occurred, a second line appears on the test - this is a reaction of the reagent to the hormone found in the urine.

HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is a special hormone that begins to be produced only in women expecting a baby. During pregnancy, it is formed in the body, and begins to be intensively produced a couple of days after the fertilized egg attaches to the wall of the uterus. In a non-pregnant woman, the normal hCG level is 0 to 5 mU/ml.

An exception may be cases when a woman has chronic diseases that affect hormonal levels, or she takes hormonal medications. Then the concentration of the hormone in the blood may be significantly higher, the test will show it, but in fact there will be no pregnancy.

Test manufacturers usually warn customers about this and recommend using other methods to diagnose pregnancy.

In a pregnant woman, the level of this hormone doubles every few days, and as a result, by the expected day of delay, the concentration of hCG becomes sufficient for the reagent to capture it. Then a second line appears on the test.

All pharmaceutical products for diagnosing pregnancy are divided by type and level of sensitivity.

Types of tests : strip strips, tablet or cassette, inkjet and electronic. There are also reusable electronic tests. They come with replaceable reagent cartridges.

Sensitivity : from 10 to 25 mU/ml.

Tests based on sensitivity level are divided into
ultrasensitive (10-15 mU/ml) and conventional (20-25 mU/ml).
The difference between them is that ultrasensitive tests can determine the fact of pregnancy even before the delay occurs. Ordinary ones may not show information that you are in an interesting position, even if the delay has already occurred.

Therefore, if it is very important for you to find out in a timely manner about the upcoming addition to the family, and to do this before the delay occurs, you need to choose the right test.

Sezam test

Another sensitive test option is Sezam. The main feature: a woman learns about the onset of conception about a week before the onset of menstruation. The Sesame cassette has a sensitivity index of 10 mIU/ml. The price of the device is from 110 to 140 rubles. Can be used at any convenient time of the day.

Sezam often displays accurate information, which is facilitated by the special cassette format. The plastic case contains two special windows and a sensitive membrane. Instructions for using the test:

1. Urine is collected with a pipette included in the kit. Each package includes a container for convenient collection of the reagent.
2. You need to measure out 3 drops of liquid and then pour them into a special window.
3. After three minutes, a positive or negative answer will appear in the second window.

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Rating of pregnancy tests (names)

In pharmacies you can find tests from different manufacturers: there are both domestic products and those from companies from Germany and the UK.

Unfortunately, Russian manufacturers offer a very small selection of tests . The most famous of them:

• "Eva-test";
• "Bi-shurs";
• "Faith";
• "BB test";
• "Bebichek."

The most popular foreign tests:

• Frau test;
• Evitest;
• Clear blue.

As a rule, domestic tests are not on the shelves in pharmacies, and it is better to ask a pharmacist for . This is due to their low cost compared to foreign analogues. Prices for domestic tests start from 10 rubles, for foreign ones – from 100 rubles. Moreover, both tests can be ultrasensitive and show pregnancy even before pregnancy occurs.

Tests with a sensitivity of 10 mU/ml : “BB Test”, “I was born!”, ULTRA (for residents of Ukraine), Wonder Test Ultra, Femitest. They show the onset of pregnancy within 7-10 days after ovulation.

Tests with a sensitivity of 15 mU/ml : Frau Test, Clear Blue (inkjet and test strips). These tests can diagnose pregnancy 4-5 days before the expected delay.

Tests with a sensitivity of 20 mU/ml : Evitest, “Eva-test”, “Bi-shurs”, “Vera”. Can be used 2-3 days before the onset of menstruation.

Tests with a sensitivity of 25 mU/ml : Clear Blue Digital, “BIOCARD”, “Vera-Plus”.
"Bebichek." With their help, you can determine the presence of pregnancy on the first day of a missed cycle.

When and how should they be done?

It should be clearly understood that even the most sensitive test cannot accomplish the impossible and detect pregnancy before implantation. Therefore, the first week after ovulation is not the time to do tests at all.

The level of hCG in pregnant and non-pregnant women before implantation of the embryo is exactly the same, and the most supersensitive test will only give a negative result.

After implantation, which can be either 5-6 days after ovulation or 8-9 days, the hormone increases gradually. 2-3 days after implantation, the hormone can be detected in the blood in small quantities (above 5 mIU/ml). You can do a blood test if you don’t have the time or energy to wait. And approximately 2-3 days before the upcoming day of delay, highly sensitive tests can also detect an increase in the level of hCG in urine.

In the blood, the level of the desired hormone increases faster than in the urine.

In the early stages before the delay, testing is carried out only using the morning portion of urine. After a night's sleep, urine is denser and more concentrated, the content of all substances in it is as high as possible compared to other times of the day. In the evening, it is advisable not to drink large amounts of liquid and not to eat foods that contain it in excess, for example, watermelons and melons.

Will the test show pregnancy even before the delay?

In addition to the fact that a test to determine pregnancy before a delay must be ultrasensitive, it must also be accurate . And here a woman can get confused. Because there are often situations when the most sensitive test, done before the onset of menstruation, is silent, but a test with normal sensitivity shows the correct result.

What does this depend on? First of all, tests can lie due to the fact that the research was carried out incorrectly . It would seem that what is so difficult here? I soaked the strip in urine and waited a couple of minutes to see the result. But this is not true. Even in such a procedure, you must do everything strictly according to the instructions.

The basic rules for conducting early testing are as follows::

• The test is done early in the morning, immediately after waking up. Before the delay, testing cannot be carried out at any time of the day, in order to avoid obtaining a false negative result.
• Before the test, you should not drink water so that the concentration of hCG in the urine does not decrease.
• Urine is collected in a dry and sterile container. It is ideal to use test jars for this.
• The test strip is immersed in the container only to the clearly marked mark.
• The test holding time must strictly correspond to that specified by the manufacturer, as it can vary.
• After soaking, the strip must be placed on a flat and dry surface. You cannot wet the test.
• If a weakly positive result was obtained (a pale second line on the test), it is necessary to conduct another test a couple of days later.

It is also important to remember that the quality of the dough depends on the date of its production. The more recent the test, the more accurate it will be. Therefore, when purchasing, you should pay attention to the date of its production.

FRAUTEST

This brand produces sensitive pregnancy tests that give results before the onset of menstruation. The reliability of Frautest is more than 99%, and the sensitivity is from 15 mIU/ml. The price of several types of tests is approximately 100-150 rubles. You can purchase four versions of Frautest at the pharmacy:

1. The Express model is a classic pregnancy test, which is impregnated with a special reagent. The procedure is performed at any convenient time of the day or night, from the first day of missed menstruation. The maximum amount of hCG in urine is in the morning, so it is better to do the procedure immediately after waking up. The day before using Frautest Express, you should not drink a lot of liquid or use diuretics, otherwise the result may be distorted. Instructions:

• Remove the dough from the packaging and carefully grasp the colored edge.
• Place in a container with urine for 10 seconds (until the line marked with arrows).
• Place on a flat, dry surface.
• The result will be visible in 3-5 minutes (no later than 10 minutes).
• Two stripes – fertilization has occurred, one – there is no pregnancy.

1. The Double control pack contains two tests. This option is an opportunity to obtain more accurate information. The procedure is carried out according to the classical scheme.
2. The Expert cassette test is distinguished by its unusual design and testing method. The accuracy of diagnosis increases several times. The kit includes a small urine pipette. Scheme for using the sensitive test:

• Use a pipette to collect 3-4 drops of urine.
• Place the liquid in one of the cassette windows.
• Place the device on a smooth, dry surface.
• After 5-10 minutes (but no more) you can see the answer in the second window.

1. The Exclusive inkjet system not only has a beautiful design, but also high accuracy. The complex design of the test ensures that the most accurate information is obtained. The procedure technique is not disrupted thanks to a special protective cap. Application algorithm:

• Remove the test from the package.
• Remove the cap from it.
• Place the end of the device (indicated in white) under a stream of urine.
• Return the kolaachok to its place.
• See a positive or negative answer after 5-8 minutes on the display.

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People's choice: which test doesn't lie?

According to women, the leaders among pregnancy tests that show a true result before the delay begins are ClearBlue Digital (a digital test that also shows the gestational age in weeks), Evitest and Frautest strip strips.

The most popular among these is ClearBlue, whose thoughtful design virtually eliminates errors during testing. Thanks to this, this test is able to determine the presence of pregnancy 3-5 days before a missed period .

Domestic tests, despite their high sensitivity, can often give either a false positive or a false negative result. The most accurate and trustworthy among all was the “Eva-test”, which shows a weak second line . He is able to show the most accurate results 1-2 days before the delay. If pregnancy has occurred, the line on the test should become brighter every day.

When testing before a missed period, it is recommended to repeat it several days in a row to obtain accurate results. You can use tests from different manufacturers to be as confident as possible in the results. It is important that all tests have a minimum difference in sensitivity threshold.

Advice : If you are not sure of the accuracy of the result obtained, and the delay has not yet begun, you can use a laboratory method for determining the level of hCG. Laboratory analysis shows the level of the hormone in the blood, and it can be performed as early as 7-10 days after the expected date of conception.

The reliability of the result in this case is one hundred percent. The cost of an express blood test for hCG ranges from 200 to 450 rubles.

Review of the best systems

For those who are looking for the most accurate ultra-sensitive test, we have compiled a small rating that will help you make your choice. When compiling it, real reviews (not advertising), as well as the opinion of specialists in the field of women's health, were taken into account.

"BB test"

This is a strip strip that is produced in France. Sensitivity - 10 mIU/ml. Manufacturers achieve such sensitivity using a special technology - solid-phase poly- and monoclonal bodies are added to the reagent. Therefore, a large spectrum of other hormones in urine goes unnoticed by the reagent, but hCG “will not go unnoticed.” Such a system can be used even 3-4 days before the delay, and a couple of days before the delay, the results are usually quite accurate so that they can be trusted.

In use it is no different from other strip strips. Urine is collected in a dry container, the strip is immersed to the level indicated on it, the result is assessed after the strip is removed, within five minutes. A definite plus is the low cost.

Clearblue digital

British test, the sensitivity of which is 20-25 mIU/ml. Such large numbers of the sensitivity threshold should not confuse, because in a digital test the analysis of the result is provided by a software method, and therefore it is considered one of the most highly accurate, which can be used 3-4 days before the delay. The test determines the fact of pregnancy and indicates the gestational age in weeks (but this function is mistaken much more often, since the hCG level is not a constant value, largely individual for different women).

You can do the test by collecting urine, or you can simply place the absorbent cartridge under a stream of urine while urinating. After this, a clock timer appears on the display, indicating that data analysis is in progress. And then the result appears. The test is reusable, the kit includes 20 replaceable disposable cartridges.

Reviews

What do women advise when choosing a test that can show pregnancy before a delay? Evgeniya : “I don’t trust super-sensitive tests, because often a reagent appears instead of a second strip. The most reliable for me is Evitest.” Maria : “Tests often lie, but a blood test for hCG shows the result already on the 8th day after ovulation. Why pay for 10 tests when you can only donate blood once?” Larisa : “On the 13th day after ovulation, Evitest and Clearblue showed me obvious second stripes.”

BB test – France

The most sensitive pregnancy test before delay from French manufacturers is the BB test. It is produced in the Innotek Laboratory and has earned positive reviews from women around the world. This express diagnosis is equally accurate at any time of the day, but in order to finally be sure of your pregnancy, you need to repeat the procedure after two days.

The moment when a woman finds out about her pregnancy is a turning point in her entire life. Taking into account the development of the express pregnancy test industry, today it is possible to find out that a girl will soon become a mother at the earliest stages, and with the highest accuracy. And for this you do not need to go to a medical facility or conduct a special laboratory test. It is enough to purchase a well-proven pregnancy test. After all, the sooner a woman finds out that she is becoming a mother, the more opportunities she has to prepare for changes in her life.

Tips for choosing and conducting

When choosing, it is very important to pay attention to several important points that will ultimately help you get the most accurate results.

• Be sure to check the expiration date on the packaging. Yes, tests have their own expiration date, after which the reagent loses much of its sensitivity, and the control zone may also turn out to be inactive. As a result, you will get a strange result - not a single strip. This means that the test was invalid or expired.

• The packaging must be intact, not torn, not wrinkled, not damaged . It is very important in what conditions the sellers stored the product to determine pregnancy. Therefore, do not take test systems from supermarket checkouts or online stores.

The best option is to buy a test at a pharmacy. Pharmacists and pharmacists know well how to store and transport such products.

• Do not buy ultrasensitive products for future use - they are very difficult to store correctly at home, and therefore the stock may become unusable due to violations of the requirements for humidity and light.

• Before the delay, do not test in the evening or during the day, do them in the morning , and after the delay, ultrasensitive tests can be carried out at any time of the day - their sensitivity threshold will allow them to detect traces of the hCG hormone, regardless of the time of day.

• When buying an expensive digital device, remember that you are purchasing an electronic device, and therefore if it is defective or incorrect, immediately contact the seller with a demand for a refund or replacement of the device . This is allowed by the consumer protection law. Other tests - strips, inkjet, cassette are not subject to exchange or return, even if the packaging has not been opened.

To learn how to take a pregnancy test correctly, watch the following video.