Pregnancy Test Information
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What is hCG? Human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is a protein hormone prodiced by the placenta. What does hCG have to do with pregnancy tests? Urine-based pregnancy tests analyze the presence of hCG. The appearance and increased levels of hCG provide an excellent indicator of pregnancy. hCG is released into the mother's circulation almost immediately after implantation(5-8 days after conception). hCG is produced in minute amounts and then, rising exponentially, the concentration doubles approximatly every 2.2 days. What does mIU/mL mean? mIU/mL is the unit of measure for hCG. It stands for mili Internation Units of hCG per milliliter of urine. Simply put, it is a measure of the concentration of hCG in the client's urine. Do all pregnancy Tests have the same sensitivity to hCG? No. There are many types of tests on the market for both professional and home use. They have different sensitivity levels for detecting hCG. Some over-the-counter home tests only detect 150-250 mIU's of hCG. This means they may not pick up the pregnancy until well after the first missed period. The tests we use are one of the most sensitive urine-based tests available, detecting concentrations as low as 20 mIU/mL. Are the levels of hCG in all pregnant women the same in any given week of pregnancy? No. The production of hCG can vary greatly from woman to woman in any given week of pregnancy with as much as a 20-fold variaton in individual levels. Some women with high hCG may come up positive on the test very early, while others with low hCG may not show up until after the first missed period. FYI--In a recent study, reported in the Journal of American Medical Association, 10% of 250 women tested had not even implanted by the first missed period. Therefore, their hCG was so low that no urine test could detect it. How early can the pregnancy tests that we use give positive results? Because our test is so sensitive, it may pick up a positive result as early as 7-10 days post conception(21-24 days after the first day of the last period) depending on when implantation occurs and the client's personal hCG levels. page two of info click here Information provided by Heritage House, '76, Inc. 1-800-858-3040 www.heritagehouse76.com
