Pregnancy Test

Learn From the Specialists

Pregnancy can at once be one of the most exciting and one of the most worrying events in a woman's life. It is an exciting thing for many women because of the prospect of having a child of their own. It is at the same time concerning because of the amount of difference that pregnancy will make in their lives. Pregnancy itself is a great challenge, and even once pregnancy is over, the lifestyle adjustments that result from caring for a newborn child are also daunting.

Before any of these challenges may be faced, however, it must first be determined whether or not a suspected pregnancy is real. To determine whether a woman is pregnant, a pregnancy test is used.

There are two basic types of pregnancy test; urine tests and blood tests. Each has its own list of advantages and disadvantages which should be considered.

A urine pregnancy test may be performed at home, and carries the benefits of privacy and immediacy of results. It may sacrifice some accuracy due to the fact that it is not as sensitive as a blood test, but it can still help a woman know whether or not they should see a doctor for further testing.

A blood pregnancy test is performed at a doctor's office. These tests have the advantage of accuracy and detecting pregnancy early, but may be disadvantageous because of the lack of privacy and the length of time that the results can take to return.

The advantages and disadvantages of each type of test should be carefully weighed before deciding which is best. The following links will help you decide on what is best for you.

Links:

womenshealth.gov

This informative page contains a list of questions that women may have about pregnancy, along with well-written answers. It also has a list of other resources that can be helpful in finding more information about pregnancy. If you still have questions, this is a good place to find answers.

webmd.com

This page is a very good resource that goes into a good bit of detail about the different types of pregnancy test, and several recommendations about how to insure the accuracy of a home pregnancy test. In addition to the initial information regarding pregnancy, it also has helpful articles about the other details involved in pregnancy.

pregnancy.about.com

This page lists even more details about taking and reading a pregnancy test, even including a section on where you can buy a home pregnancy test. This is a good resource to use if you need step-by-step information on testing.

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