All u wanted to know about HPT Tests
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| Fri, 08-15-2003 - 4:08pm |
Here is the results of Consumer Reports test in May 2003:
http://www.parentsnest.com/aip.data/article/show/further/0/212015.shtml
Chart of many HPTs and the level at which they detect hCG. Read the notes and FAQ at the bottom.
http://www.fertilityplus.org/faq/hpt.html
If you don't have time to go to the site read this:
Q: How soon after ovulation can I test?
A: The earliest you can get a positive result on the most sensitive pregnancy tests is seven days after ovulation. Implantation needs to occur before hCG is produced, and that generally happens between 6-12 days post ovulation, usually by 10 days after. For this reason, it makes economical sense to wait until 10-12 days after ovulation, but even then a significant percentage of women who are indeed pregnant will still show a negative result. If you have not had an hCG injection (common in fertility treatment, brands include Profasi, Pregnyl and Novarel), you can believe the positive, but you might get a false negative. If your period is late, test again. Your hCG levels should double every 2-3 days and many people won't have a positive HPT until the first day of a missed period or even a few days later.
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Q: How accurate are home pregnancy tests on the first day of a missed period?
A: An October 2001 JAMA article (JAMA. 2001;286:1759-1761) said the highest possible screening sensitivity for an hCG-based pregnancy test conducted on the first day of a missed period is 90 percent, as 10 percent of women may not have implanted yet. The authors estimate that the highest possible screening sensitivity of a home pregnancy test by one week after the first day of the missed period is 97 percent.
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First Response Early Result is a test that claims you can test 3 or 4 days before your period is due. Calls to the company about the hCG level detected have been answered with "no comment" or "privileged" information. An e-mail to the FDA about the test received a reply of 25 mIU, but this is not in the customer-searchable database. When it came out, a couple of people e-mailed FertilityPlus to say that the new test detects 15-20 mIU. So far we have had several people report false-positives, faulty tests, and several who have been pleased with early and very early detection . . . It is important to note that this test won't work for everyone because implantation (6-12 dpo) needs to occur before one will get a positive result. The test scored highest on the Consumer Reports 2003 ranking of home tests.
The Equate brand switched manufacturers a couple of years ago. The older test had a significant online reputation for false positives, while the newer test, manufactured by LifeCare, appears as reliable as most other brands (most brands get some reports of false positives). The main comment the test still gets is to beware of evaporation lines and read the test, like all brands, within the time limit listed in the instructions.
Evaporation lines are reported with most brands, and should be considered normal for home pregnancy tests. This is why tests should be read within the time specified within the instructions. Most recently we have had reports about the Inverness Medical tests different brands, AimStick, and dBest. Clearblue/ClearPlan sometimes has a white line where the result should appear, or a gray line without colored dye -- neither of which should be considered a positive result and require retesting.

