Most home pregnancy tests are more alike than they are different. All home pregnancy tests work by detecting whether the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is present in a woman's urine. Women use all of the tests in a similar way, and the accuracy of these tests is about the same as long as women follow the directions perfectly. Deciding which type of home pregnancy test to use, therefore, is simply a matter of personal preference.
Traditional
Traditional pregnancy tests instructions recommend that a woman wait until after she misses her period before taking the test. They instruct women to hold the testing strip in their urine stream or collect their urine in a cup and dip the testing strip into the urine. After a few minutes, one or two lines appear in the display window of the test. One line means the woman is not pregnant, and two lines indicate that she is pregnant. Some home pregnancy tests use a plus or a minus symbol to display the results instead, with a plus indicating a positive result and a minus indicating a negative one. These tests may be more widely available than digital or early result home pregnancy tests.
Digital Display
Digital pregnancy tests work in the same way as traditional pregnancy tests. Women urinate on the testing strip and wait a few minutes to read the results. Instead of displaying the results as lines or a plus or minus, however, digital pregnancy tests display words in the display window to indicate the result. The exact words depend on the specific brand, but common results include the words "Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant" or the words "Yes" or "No." Although digital tests can be more expensive than traditional pregnancy tests, many women find it easier to interpret the results.
Early Result
Women anxious to find out whether they are pregnant before they miss their periods should consider an early result home pregnancy test. Many of these pregnancy tests have a higher sensitivity and are able to detect the hCG hormone in a woman's urine earlier than other types of tests can. Several brands advertise the ability to detect pregnancy up to five or six days before a missed period. Although some women can detect pregnancy this early using these tests, many cannot. Women who choose to use an early result home pregnancy test should always repeat the test in a week or two to confirm the result, suggests the medical advisory board at Baby Center.
