A late period can leave you wondering whether you’re pregnant, but symptoms alone can’t give you a definite answer. Pregnancy testing detects a specific hormone that typically rises shortly after implantation. Learn how pregnancy tests work, when to take one, and what the results can tell you.
At Informed Choices Women’s Center, your first appointment is with a registered nurse who can provide no-cost, confidential, medical-grade pregnancy testing and answer your questions. If your result is positive, your nurse can also discuss whether a limited ultrasound is appropriate.
Ready to take a pregnancy test? Schedule an appointment at our Mountain Home or Harrison location.
What Does a Pregnancy Test Detect?
Pregnancy testing looks for a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
After fertilization, the fertilized egg travels toward the uterus. Once implantation occurs in the uterine lining, the developing placenta begins producing hCG. During early pregnancy, the amount of this hormone increases rapidly.
Urine pregnancy testing works by detecting hCG once the level is high enough to register. That means the timing of your pregnancy testing can affect the result.
Can You Take a Pregnancy Test Too Early?
Yes. If you take a home pregnancy test soon after sex or before your missed period, there may not be enough hCG in your urine for the test to detect. This can lead to a negative result even if you are pregnant.
For greater accuracy, pregnancy testing is generally recommended a day or two after your missed period. If you receive a negative result but your period still doesn’t begin, repeating the test after several days or speaking with a healthcare professional may be appropriate.
Your cycle can also be affected by factors other than pregnancy, such as stress, hormonal or lifestyle changes, so a late period by itself does not necessarily mean you are pregnant.
How Is Pregnancy Testing at Informed Choices Different From a Home Test?
Home pregnancy tests can be accurate, but you may still have questions about the result, especially if the line is faint, your period hasn’t started, or the result isn’t what you expected.
At Informed Choices, medical-grade pregnancy testing is administered by a registered nurse. Your nurse can review the result with you and talk with you about any questions or concerns you have.
If your pregnancy testing is positive, there is another important distinction to understand: a positive result confirms that hCG has been detected, but it cannot tell you where the pregnancy is located or how far along you are.
That information requires an ultrasound.
What Can You Learn After a Positive Result?
Informed Choices provides limited abdominal ultrasounds through 13 weeks when appropriate. An ultrasound can help determine:
- Approximately how far along the pregnancy is
- Whether the pregnancy is located inside the uterus
- Whether cardiac activity can be detected when expected based on gestational age
Pregnancy location is particularly important because an ectopic pregnancy develops outside the uterus and requires prompt medical treatment. An ectopic pregnancy can still produce hCG and result in a positive pregnancy test.
Your registered nurse can explain the results of your pregnancy test and ultrasound and talk with you about your pregnancy options.
Start With Pregnancy Testing
You don’t need to figure everything out before making an appointment. Start by finding out whether you are pregnant and by getting answers to your questions.
Informed Choices Women’s Center provides no-cost, confidential medical-grade pregnancy testing at both locations. A registered nurse will review your result with you and explain whether additional services may be appropriate.
Schedule your appointment online, or call or text the location nearest you:
Mountain Home: Call 870-424-4673 or text 870-656-9958
Harrison: 870-280-3169 or text 870-404-4897