Pregnancy tests kits such as e.p.t. can assure a woman she's not pregnant or give her the news that she has conceived. The tests can be accurate if used correctly and at the right time. Using the test too early can lull a pregnant woman into making choices such as smoking or drinking that are unhealthy for her new baby, e.p.t. advises. e.p.t. was the first home pregnancy test to hit the market, arriving in 1978.
Process
The e.p.t. pregnancy test works by detecting pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG. This is produced by the placenta once the embryo attaches itself to the wall of the uterus. e.p.t. detects hCG at 25 thousandths of an international unit. The test that can detect the lowest amount of hCG is First Response, which can detect hCG levels as low as 6.5mIU, according to Pregnancy Diary. Other tests, such as Aim Step, detect hCG at 20mIU, while less-sensitive tests detect the hormone at 50mIU, according to Fertility Plus. The level of hCG doubles about every two days, so the lower the detection capability, the earlier the test can give accurate results.
Time Frame
The e.p.t. pregnancy test can be used on the first day of a woman's expected period, according to company information. Using the test four or more days before an expected period is likely to result in an inaccurate negative result to 30 percent of pregnant, however. On the day of the expected period, e.p.t. can be used any time of the day. The results show up in two to three minutes. If a woman gets a negative result that she suspects is incorrect, she's advised to wait one week and take the test again.
Identification
There are two types of e.p.t. pregnancy test kits. One displays a plus sign to indicate a woman is pregnant and a minus sign to indicate she is not in a round-shaped window. e.p.t. Digital displays either the word "pregnant" or the words "not pregnant' in an oval-shaped window. With the plus or minus version, a woman is instructed to place the test stick's absorbent tip in her urine flow for five seconds, or dip the tip into a container of urine for 20 seconds with the tip pointing downward. She then puts the stick on a flat surface for at least two minutes, windows facing up, before viewing results. With the digital version, the user must assemble the test before placing the absorbent tip in urine flow or dipping the tip into a container of urine. She also must make sure not to eject the test stick when the "test ready" symbol flashes (which lasts about 30 seconds), and to wait three minutes to see results, according to information from e.p.t.
Warning
Several factors can affect accuracy of test results. One is not properly following test package directions, such as waiting longer than 15 minutes to place the kit's dipstick in urine. Certain drugs can skew results, such as those containing hCG or prescription drugs including promethazine, which is used to treat allergy symptoms. Taking a home pregnancy test within eight weeks of a miscarriage or giving birth can cause a false positive, e.p.t. says. False-positives also can be caused by having traces of protein or blood in the urine, the Mayo Clinic says. Incorrect negative results are most often caused by taking the test too soon in the pregnancy and by diluted urine that's the result of drinking too much liquid before testing, according to the clinic.
Considerations
e.p.t. tells buyers that its test kit results are more than 99 percent accurate in laboratory tests. However, the use of test kits at home doesn't reach this level of accuracy and are at higher risk of having a false-negative result than women who are tested in a laboratory setting, according to the journal Archives of Family Medicine. Companies such as e.p.t. don't publish their studies on the tests' effectiveness. In a 1993 French study, B. Valanis and C. Perlman found that only 32 percent of users complied with all of the test instructions and that more than 24 percent of women taking the test had false negatives. The study was published in the American Journal of Public Health.
