{"id":27159,"date":"2024-12-26T18:00:17","date_gmt":"2024-12-26T18:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/?p=27159"},"modified":"2025-10-06T11:56:55","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T11:56:55","slug":"reliable-pregnancy-tests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.may.app\/en\/blog\/fertility\/reliable-pregnancy-tests\/","title":{"rendered":"Reliable pregnancy tests: how to choose?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nausea, fatigue, and\/or a missed period\u2026 These may be the first signs of pregnancy. To be sure, you\u2019ll likely head to a pharmacy to get a pregnancy test<\/strong>. When should you take a pregnancy test? How should you interpret the results?<\/span><\/p>\n

Reliable pregnancy test<\/strong>: here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/span><\/p>\n

The different types of pregnancy tests<\/h2>\n

There are mainly two types of pregnancy tests<\/strong> considered reliable: urine tests<\/strong> and blood tests<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Urine tests<\/b><\/h3>\n

Urine pregnancy tests<\/strong> are the most commonly used<\/strong> due to their accessibility<\/strong> and ease of use<\/strong>. It\u2019s probably the stick you urinate on that comes to mind when you hear the words \u201cpregnancy test.\u201d These tests work by detecting the presence of the beta-hCG hormone<\/strong> (human chorionic gonadotropin) in urine, secreted by the body as soon as the egg implants in the uterus<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blood tests<\/b><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s also possible to take a blood test<\/strong>, which is even more accurate than urine tests because the measurements are taken directly from the blood<\/strong> and interpreted by your doctor or midwife<\/strong>, which reduces the risk of false positives or false negatives<\/strong>. The same hormone, beta-hCG, is measured\u2014just in the blood this time.<\/span><\/p>\n

Good to know: in France, blood tests can be reimbursed by health insurance<\/strong> when prescribed by a healthcare professional.<\/span><\/p>\n

Factors affecting test reliability<\/b><\/h2>\n

The reliability of these pregnancy tests can be influenced by several factors<\/strong>. Here are the most common ones.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pregnancy test: false positives and false negatives<\/b><\/h3>\n

Using a urine pregnancy test is simple, but certain factors can sometimes distort the result<\/strong>, leading to false negatives or false positives. Here are a few examples:<\/span><\/p>\n