The FDA regulates home pregnancy tests, and both expensive and cheaper tests must meet the same requirements. So you can draw your own conclusions on whether the more expensive tests are worth it when it comes to accuracy of test results. As the FDA puts it, "Most pregnancy tests have about the same ability to detect HCG, but their ability to show whether or not you are pregnant depends on how much HCG you are producing." This test from First Response is our top choice because it delivers reliable, easy-to-read results up to six days before a missed period. In three minutes' time, you'll get the confirmed read you need, so you don’t have to sit around wondering. Data shows that the First Response Early Result manual test’s findings are especially accurate because it can detect all forms of the different types of hCG (the pregnancy hormone) found in urine. Studies show that First Response tests are able to detect hCG in 76 percent of users five cycle days before their expected period and detect 100 percent of the hormone on the day of the missed period. Mumsnet has been helping parents make their lives easier since 2000 and, in those years, we’ve seen, tried and reviewed thousands of products. Generally speaking, as the levels of the pregnancy hCG hormone rise every two or three days during pregnancy, a pregnancy test will be more accurate the later you leave it after having unprotected sex.

You get results in three minutes and with First Response's new EasyRead app, you can scan and confirm your test to see the words “pregnant” or “not pregnant" if the lines aren't crystal clear to you, or you feel unsure about your results. Home pregnancy tests say they're up to or even over 99 percent accurate, however, as The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center notes, these results are based on lab testing results and assume that women are testing at the right time, following every instruction carefully, and interpreting the results flawlessly. Can the marketing be trusted? A much-cited 2014 analysis of pregnancy test claims and results Opens a new window noted that claims made for home pregnancy tests are "inconsistent." So take them with a grain of salt. All pregnancy tests are not the same. With its sensitive technology, First Response™ Early Result In-Stream Pregnancy Test can detect very low levels of the pregnancy hormone¹ 6 days before the day of your missed period (5 days before expected period)¹. EARLY RESULTS test 6 DAYS before your missed period (5 days before day of expected period).If you need a definitive answer with no second guessing, opt for a test at your doctor’s office. “The best pregnancy test and most accurate is an in-office blood test or a urine test that your doctor provides,” says Dr. Swarup. “At-home tests can be inaccurate if conducted incorrectly.” In addition, we spoke with Kecia Gaither, MD, an OB/GYN, maternal-fetal medicine specialist, and director of Perinatal Services and Maternal Fetal Medicine at NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln in the Bronx; Monte Swarup, MD, a board-certified OB/GYN in Chandler, Arizona, and founder of HPV Hub; and retired OB-GYN Kimberly Langdon, MD, to find out what to look for in a pregnancy test. Moreover, we reviewed guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on how pregnancy tests work and the accuracy of urine tests. We chose pregnancy tests that are accurate, easy to use, reliable, and budget-friendly. How early can you use it? - The most sensitive pregnancy tests such as First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test can detect 10mIU/ml and some of these can be used before your period is due. It's worth noting, however, that the NHS recommends taking a pregnancy test from the first day of a missed period or at least 21 days after having unprotected sex.

Pregnancy tests detect the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) through your urine (or blood if you visit the doctor’s office). “Pregnancy tests are approximately 99 percent accurate [and] best utilized after a missed period,” says Kecia Gaither, MD, an OB/GYN, maternal-fetal medicine specialist, and director of Perinatal Services and Maternal Fetal Medicine at NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln in the Bronx. “False positives are rare but can occur." I have had very good experiences with the Easy@Home tests. No evaps, and a line as dark as the control line when my period was due." Non-digital pregnancy tests: These pregnancy tests show your results in the form of blue or pink lines. Although they tend to be more affordable, they can also be more difficult to decipher if one of the lines is faint. If that’s the case, wait a day or two to take the test again.The gold standard of pregnancy tests, the First Response is the one most long-haul TTC’ers use to confirm their pregnancy. Fans say it's more sensitive than other tests, and a 2005 study on over-the-counter pregnancy tests bore this claim out, finding that the First Response Early Result test (or FRER as TTC couples call it) detected HCG at a concentration almost four times lower than other tests. Overall, what you should look for in a pregnancy test comes down to a few factors, according to the experts. “Three things: ease of use, clarity, and reliability. An over-the-counter test kit should be easy to use; it should be easy to handle, the instructions should be clear, and the results should be visible,” says Dr. Langdon. “Choose a reputable brand. Choose ones that have been on the market for a while. A reliable pregnancy test kit will give you the certainty you need, so don’t skimp on this one,” she advises.