How early before your next expected period can you take a home preg.test and get an accurate result?

Question

I'm due for my period in a week. I think I might be pregnant. Can I take the test today and get an accurate result?

Answer 1

How soon can I test? Well, first you gotta know how the test works. Briefly: the home pregnancy test (HPT) works by detecting a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG.) When an egg is fertilized, it takes about 6 to 12 days to implant in the uterus, and then it begins to secrete hCG. It takes another day or two for enough hCG to build up and make its way into your pee. So, generally speaking, the earliest you can expect a positive HPT is 8 days past ovulation ("DPO") and the latest would be about 16 DPO. It is possible to get a positive test earlier or later, but not as common. In my experience, if you use a sensitive "early" test (anything that detects 25 mIU/mL of hCG or less) you can test around 12-14 DPO and feel reasonably secure with your results (the later you test, the more secure you can feel in its accuracy.)

If you do not chart or monitor your fertility in any way, and you think you may have conceived, you should wait 19 days (or longer) after having sex to test. Why 19?! Sperm can live approximately 5 days in the proper environment; if the sperm managed to live until you popped an egg, the actual conception could have taken place several days after the sex act that got the sperm there. To make sure you're not testing too early, assume the sperm had very long lives (5 days is considered a very long sperm life) and that conception occurred then. Then allow 14 days for the embryo to implant and develop enough hCG to show up on a pregnancy test (96% of pregnant women will test positive by then.)

Note: some HPT's say "test 5 days before your period is due!" or some such thing. Please note they are assuming a textbook 28-day cycle, with ovulation on Day 14. "5 days before your period is due" thus really "translates" to 10 DPO.

Essentially, you should remember that your high school biology textbook was WRONG. NOT all women have 28-day cycles and NOT all women ovulate on Day 14. For more info on this type of thing, see the Fertility Info section.

Here's an example. This is the textbook-perfect 28-day cycle with ovulation occurring on day 14 (in pink.) 10 DPO and later are reasonable days for testing (in green.) This is the cycle the HPT companies have in mind when they say "test 5 days before your period is due!"



Well, not everyone's body works this way. Here's another 28-day cycle-- but this one has ovulation occurring a little bit later, still well within the normal range. Watch what happens to your (green) testing opportunities!



All of a sudden, "5 days before your period is due!" is way too early for you to expect a positive test! (I tend to ovulate later myself, so by the time the "gold standard" of testing at 14 DPO is applicable, my period is already 3 days late! I needed to use an "early detection" test on the first day of my missed period. A "regular" test would probably have been negative-- even though my daughter is living proof that I was, indeed, pregnant ;)

Of course, it works in reverse, too. If you're an early ovulator, you're lucky! Check it out:



In this scenario, you could test even sooner than 5 days before your expected period.

Ultimately, it's important to remember that implantation is a variable thing. You may be able to detect a pregnancy very early on, but then again, you may not! If you can't, don't despair.

Answer 2

First response is supposed to be quite accurate, I took one a couple of days before and it showed I was pregnant, one of my pregnancies did not show anything a week after it was due, needed a blood test.

Answer 3

The pregnancy hormone is detected in a woman's body by the amount of HCG.

Each pregnancy test out on the market tests at a different level (these levels rise within the first few months of pregnancy)

Below is a list of tests to take and at what level the pregnancy horomone can be detected (the lower the number, the earlier you will detect a pregnancy :) good luck and happy testing!!)

Christine

******************

The "official" sensitivity is the manufacturer's guaranteed minimum detection level.

Often, however, tests are more sensitive than advertised. The "anecdotal" sensitivities come from women who tested positive and followed up with a blood test to determine the exact amount of hCG in their systems. These numbers should be treated as anecdotal! Even 2 tests in the same box may not have the exact same sensitivity threshold. If you have an anecdotal number lower than what I have listed, please let me know!

Can you replace a ? with info? Tell me!

Remember to visit Current Issues & Alerts for the latest buzz on certain brands!

Note: Some tests are sold under many different brand names. I have included as many as possible. If you find the same test under a new name, let me know! Please note: most generic store brands are distributed by Inverness. All generic store brand digital tests are Inverness, which is the parent company of Clearblue, and therefore identical to the Clearblue Easy Digital Test.

Tell me about the various Internet tests you've used!

This chart applies only to brands sold in the United States. May differ abroad.
This information is, to the best of my knowledge/research, accurate and current as of September 2006.

Remember, all tests have the potential for evaporation lines.
False positives are very rare, but can happen.
My recommendations are based on overall reputation, reader input, and my own experiences/experiments; even good tests have the odd complaint.

Click on a brand name for brand-specific pics (positives, evaporation lines, defective tests), test instructions, and recommendations/comments.

See the HPT Showdown for a side-by-side comparison of 15 brands!

Brand
Sensitivity
official vs. anecdotal
Overall
Recommendation Order
Accu-Clear
see Inverness
see Inverness
AccuHome 25 ? ?
AimStep 20 ? ?
AimMidstream OTC 20 ? ?
AimStick PBD 20 ? ?
Aimstick OTC/AccuDip 20 ? ?
Answer 100 no longer available
Answer Quick & Simple Early 25 <10 -
"disappearing positives" are negative results
At-Home-Pregnancy-Tests.com 20 ? ?
B-Sure RECALL ALERT RECALL ALERT: see Current Issues & Alerts
Baby Test
see New Choice see New Choice
Clearblue Easy Digital "Easy Read" 25-50* <10 -
some false positives

Clearblue Easy
aka ClearPlan Easy 50 ? ?
Clearblue Easy Earliest Result
see also The +/- Tests 25 <10 -
complaints of false positives
Confirm 1-Step 25 ? -

Confirm Clearly RECALL ALERT
RECALL ALERT: see Current Issues & Alerts
CVS (cassette) 50 ? ?
CVS (midstream) 25 ? +
dBest One Step 20 ? ?
Drug Emporium One Step 50 ? ?
Early Pregnancy Test 50 ? ?
Early-Pregnancy-Tests.com 20 ? -
Eckerd Digital
generic, Clearblue Easy Digital "Easy Read" see Clearblue Easy Digital "Easy Read"
Eckerd One Step 50 ? ?
e.p.t. (with | | results window) 50 ? +
once -
e.p.t. (with + or - results window)
see also "The +/- Tests" 25 21 -
complaints of false positives
e.p.t. Certainty 50 41 -
some false positives

Equate (Wal-Mart) (with | | results window) 25** <5 +
once -
Equate (Wal-Mart) (with + or - results window) 25** ? +

Fact Plus Pro (cassette) 100 ? +
Fact Plus (cassette) 25 ? +
Fact Plus 1-Step (midstream) 25 ? +
First Response Early Result (older, rectangular-window version) 12.5***
<5 -
"disappearing positives" are negative results
First Response Early Result (newer, oval-window version) 25
? +
new test design appears more reliable than old
First Response One Step 100 ? ?
First Response Rapid Result ? ? ?
Health Check 25 ? ?
Health Mark 25 ? ?
Insta Test 25 ? ?
Inverness | |
Accu-Clear
Target (with | | results window)
Rite-Aid (with | | results window)
Walgreens (with | | results window) 50 <10 +
Inverness +/-

Target (with +/- results window)
Rite-Aid (with +/- results window)
Walgreens (with +/- results window)
see also "The +/- Tests"
25 ? -
Jackie 20 ? -
KwickTest ? ? ?
LifeSign One-Step 25 ? ?
LifeSign 1 Midstream 25 ? ?
New Choice (Dollar Tree)
25 7 +
SaveOnTests.com 20 ? +
Simplicity 20 ? +
Smart Strip hCG
Fertilinet 25 ? +
TestsForLess.com 20 ? +

Answer 4

hi i am kinda in the same boat i am 11dpo but every site i go on says it may still be to early to test because it takes 6 to 12 days implantation and the hcg doesent release until this happens so i guess its the waiting game from here good luck to you

Answer 5

usually the day after your missed period, thats when the HCG hormone can be dtected. Now, some of them CAN predict it up to 3 days(i think...) before you're missed period.

Answer 6

yes

Answer 7

well you well have to wait intill you have missed your period i would think