You can become pregnant when you ovulate, which is usually around 14 days after the first day of your period. But when can you actually take a pregnancy test?

...30 seconds left. The first line, the control line, is already showing clearly and the stomach twists, while you begin to feel that a second line starts taking shape. Or can you? You give it 30 more seconds… Well, is there a small line there or not? You grab the using instructions – how long does it exactly take before the result shows up?!

The first minutes after taking a pregnancy test can be really nerve-wracking and it can get even worse if you are left with a few half-pale lines and a continued uncertainty. Ahh, then maybe you should have thrown an extra test in the basket anyway.

Many of us can be completely confused when we stand with that first pregnancy test in hand. That’s why we have put together a little pregnancy test guide for you here down below.

1. How early can you take a pregnancy test?

Pregnancy tests measure human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), also called the pregnancy-preserving hormone. The formation of hCH starts as soon as the fertilized egg settles in the uterus, which happens between the 5^th and 7^th day after intercourse, when the egg has been fertilized.

The hormone levels raise quickly day by day and this allows the pregnancy tests to detect it quite early.

Some high-sensitivity pregnancy tests can already confirm or deny a possible pregnancy as early as 6 days after intercourse. Often, the cheaper pregnancy tests have a lower-sensitivity and require a slightly higher concentration of the hormone. Therefore, it may be necessary to wait a few more days before taking the test. If you want to know as soon as possible, then you need to buy a high hormone-sensitive test. Depending on the test you buy, there may be a difference on how fast the hCH is detected, which tells you if you are pregnant or not.

The short answer: From day 8-14 after intercourse.

2. When is the best time to take a pregnancy test?

Our recommendation, if you want to be absolutely sure, is to wait until day 14 after intercourse to take a pregnancy test.

If you have a hard time waiting, then we recommend you to buy your tests at the local pharmacy. There, they can definitely advise you abput the quality and the “speed” of the different tests.

You should be aware that the tests are different because of their sensitivity. The higher the sensitivity, the quicker the test can detect the hCH hormone and give you an answer.

The short answer: 14 days after intercourse.

3. What time during the day should you take a pregnancy test?

In addition to the number of days that must pass before you can take a pregnancy test, you also need to take into consideration when during the day to take the test. The most optimal time is in the morning, with the morning urine. At that time, the urine is more concentrated and this makes it easier for the test to detect the hormone.

The short answer: In the morning.

4. Can you take the test if you are ill?

As we mentioned before, pregnancy tests measure your hormones and therefore, it should not make a difference whether you are ill or not. In conclusion, you can still take the test to find out whether you are pregnant or not.

The fertilized egg secretes the pregnancy-hormone hCG, which is absorbed into the bloodstream and from there is passed into the urine. Therefore, you can easily take a pregnancy test even if you don’t feel the best.

The short answer: Yes.

5. How confident can you be in the result of your pregnancy test?

The earlier you test, the more likely you are to test positive (pregnant) on a test that ends up being a false alarm – it is called a biochemical pregnancy.

A biochemical pregnancy occurs when something goes wrong during the early cell division phase of the fertilized egg, which means that you will not be able to keep the pregnancy. We typically experience it as a delayed menstruation.

This means that if you take a pregnancy test early in the case of a biochemical pregnancy, you will test positive, but when you repeat the test in the following weeks, the result will come out negative.

On the other hand, if you test too early, you can also risk the exact opposite. The pregnancy test can have a negative result even if you are actually pregnant. This is because your level of hCH in the urine is too low for the test to detect it.

If you wait the recommended number of days and then you take a pregnancy test, you will get a more secure result.

The short answer: Very confident (if you have waited the 14 days after the intercourse)

Source: Woman.dk / apoteket.dk