Title: When is the best time to take pregnancy test? | Ohio State Medical Center
Headings: When is the best time to take pregnancy test?
When is the best time to take pregnancy test?
Author: Amber Bondurant, MD
Tags:
Brand name versus generic pregnancy tests
How to prevent a false negative result
Medications and test results
When to see your doctor

Content: Why? Because this is really the best way to prevent a false negative result (a negative test in someone who's actually pregnant) result. Home pregnancy tests can be used as early as the first day after your first missed period in women with regular/predictable monthly menses. If you have irregular periods, you can administer a test 14 days after intercourse, since you likely can’t pinpoint your exact time of ovulation. Pregnancy tests detect a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), which is produced in early pregnancy. The production of this hormone begins slowly and increases as the pregnancy grows. Standard urine pregnancy tests will detect the HCG level when it reaches 20-50 milliunits/milliliters. If you take a test too soon (before you've missed your period), the levels of HCG may not be high enough to detect a pregnancy and it could cause a negative result, even though you're actually pregnant. I advise my patients to wait at least one day after you miss your period. If you wait one week after a missed period, the chance of a false negative is very low if you have a normal monthly menstrual cycle.