Interpreting the results on a home pregnancy test can be much more difficult than identifying one line or two. Blood pregnancy tests are the most accurate method for determining pregnancy although home pregnancy tests provide convenience and privacy. Despite the ease in acquiring these tests, they are not without drawbacks which should be considered carefully when choosing a test.
Expense
Pregnancy tests can become expensive especially for couples who have been trying to conceive for several months and for women who buy multiple tests each month. The American Pregnancy Association says that home pregnancy tests run the range from affordable to expensive. Although home pregnancy tests are less costly than a blood test done in a doctor's office, home pregnancy tests are generally not covered by insurance. Digital pregnancy tests which eliminate lines and display results in words are the most expensive, though easiest to read.
Ambiguous Results
Clearblue Easy reports that 25 percent of women fail to read a pregnancy test accurately. All home pregnancy tests are designed with specific instructions. Each step should be followed properly to ensure accurate results are received. Women often make the mistake of reading the test after the specified amount of time. When this occurs, the urine can dry, leaving what appears to be a positive result, when it is simply an evaporation line. Conversely, a positive line may show up so light that it is mistaken for an evaporation line.
False Negatives
Home pregnancy tests measure the amount of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), released after the egg implants in the uterus. Testing too early may cause a false negative result when there is too little HCG in the urine to detect the pregnancy. Home pregnancy tests require as much as 20mIU/ml depending on the brand in order to detect the pregnancy. Blood tests can detect as little as 5mIU/ml. Because of the amount of HCG required to detect the pregnancy, women may cause themselves unnecessary worry, believing their period is on the way. Waiting a few days before retesting may result in a positive if too little HCG was present the first time.
Waiting to Test
Although many pregnancy tests advertise the ability to detect pregnancy as many as five days before the period is due, the accuracy at that time is low. The Mayo Clinic reports that the best time to test for most accurate results is one week after the period was expected. Waiting an extra week to test is difficult when a woman has been trying to conceive.
