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Pregnancy test

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Definition:

A pregnancy test measures a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). HCG is a hormone produced during pregnancy. It appears in the blood and urine of pregnant women as early as 10 days after conception.

See also:

• HCG - urine
• HCG - serum - qualitative
• HCG - serum - quantitative

How the test is performed:

A pregnancy test may be performed using blood or urine. There are two types of blood pregnancy tests:

• Qualitative, which measures whether the HCG hormone is present
• Quantitative, which measures how much HCG is present

The blood test is done by drawing a single tube of blood and sending it to a laboratory. You may wait anywhere from a few hours to more than a day to get the results.

The urine HCG test is usually performed by placing a drop of urine on a prepared chemical strip. It generally takes 1 to 2 minutes for a result.

How the test will feel:

The urine test involves normal urination into a cup. The serum tests involve drawing blood through a needle and into a tube. Any discomfort you might feel from the blood draw will only last a few seconds.

Why the test is performed:

This test may be done to:

• Determine if you are pregnant
• Measure the age of the fetus (quantitative test only)
• Diagnose abnormal conditions that can raise HCG levels

• Review Date: 11/30/2006
• Reviewed By: Audra Robertson, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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