Pregnancy tests are an easy and accurate way to find out if you’re pregnant — you just pee on a stick. They’re inexpensive and available at most drug and grocery stores.

Pregnancy tests look for a special hormone —human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) — that only develops in a person’s body during pregnancy. These tests can use either your pee or blood to look for HCG. At-home pregnancy tests that use your pee are the most common type. When used correctly, home pregnancy tests are 99% accurate.

A pregnancy test checks your pee or blood to see if you're pregnant.There are different reasons you might take a pregnancy test. Maybe you're trying to get pregnant and you want a positive result. Or maybe something interrupted your birth control. You also might take a pregnancy test before having a medical procedure or starting a new medication, to avoid complications. This is true whether you're biologically female, nonbinary, or transgender male. If you have a uterus and ovaries (and you're ovulating), and you’re having penetrative sex with a penis, you can get pregnant.

Since the earliest recorded history, women have had a strong desire to know whether they are pregnant as early as possible. The body goes through countless changes in the first trimester, and one of the first indicators is a change in the hormones that leave the body through urine.

Could you be pregnant? Get answers to common questions about home pregnancy tests.

In the realm of medical advancements, the development of rapid testing technologies is revolutionizing how we receive swift and accurate health information. This article will delve into two common domains of rapid testing: pregnancy testing and COVID-19 testing, while introducing related medical devices.

At-home over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 diagnostic tests can show if you have an active COVID-19 infection.These at-home OTC COVID-19 diagnostic tests are FDA authorized for self-testing at home (or in other locations) without a prescription. Tests are available online or at local stores and  you collect your own sample, perform the test, and read the result yourself without the need to send a sample to a laboratory.

Rapid tests, also known as rapid diagnostic tests or RDTs, are easy-to-use tests that provide quick results, usually in 20 minutes or less. Unlike most standard tests, which have to be sent to a lab, rapid tests are done and provide results at the point of care. The point of care is the place where you are getting care. It can include your provider's office, a clinic, or even your own home.

Antigen tests, often referred to as rapid tests or, for some, at-home or self tests, which detect proteins called antigens from the virusSamples for COVID-19 diagnostic tests are typically collected using an anterior nares (nasal) swab sample. Some diagnostic tests use other samples such as mid-turbinate, nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, or saliva samples. Depending on the intended use, COVID-19 diagnostic tests can be performed at a laboratory, a standalone testing site, a doctor’s office or health clinic, or at home. For most molecular COVID-19 diagnostic tests, you go to a testing site to have your sample collected and for others you can collect your own sample at home using a home collection kit and mail it to a laboratory for testing. Some tests, including most antigen tests, can be performed completely at home, giving you results within minutes, without needing to send your sample to a laboratory.  

The rapid antigen tests give results in 15-20 minutes and are convenient. Self-testing is an important tool in efforts to stop the spread of coronavirus, along with vaccination, masking, washing hands and social distancing. To get the most accurate result, it’s important to do the test properly.“We get a lot of questions from families about how to do the tests and how accurate they are,” said Claudio Alvarado, an assistant nurse manager in the pediatric emergency department at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. “They aren’t difficult to do, but it is important to follow the directions carefully.”

Molecular tests are generally more accurate and mostly processed in a laboratory, which takes longer; antigen tests—or “rapid tests”—are processed pretty much anywhere, including at home, in doctors’ offices, or in pharmacies. You can get antigen test results in about 15 minutes, but they tend to be less accurate.  Health care providers typically rely on molecular tests, particularly when people have COVID-19 symptoms, whereas antigen testing is often used when quick results are needed or for general screening and surveillance.Below, we take a closer look at the two categories. 

People with suspected COVID-19 need to know quickly whether they are infected, so that they can self-isolate, receive treatment, and inform close contacts. Currently, COVID-19 infection is confirmed by a laboratory test called RT-PCR, which uses specialist equipment and often takes at least 24 hours to produce a result.In many places, rapid antigen tests have opened access to testing for many more people, with and without symptoms, and in locations other than healthcare settings. Faster diagnosis of COVID-19 infection could allow people to take appropriate action more quickly, with the potential to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but it is important to understand how accurate they are and the best way to use them.

Where can I find at-home tests?You can pick up at-home test from area libraries (call ahead to check supply) or at our South Park Street or East Washington locations during business hours.  You can order free at-home COVID tests on COVIDTests.gov. Every U.S. household is eligible to receive four free rapid tests to be delivered directly to your home via the U.S. Postal Service.You can also find at-home tests in stores, pharmacies, and online.

The key difference between rapid tests and standard laboratory tests is how long they take to process results.As the name suggests, rapid tests can produce fast results. Compared to standard tests, rapid tests are often simpler. This lets them process samples faster. The fastest test currently available — ID NOW by Abbott — can detect the virus in 13 minutes or less. In general, most rapid tests provide results in 15 to 30 minutes.You can do rapid tests at point-of-care, like a testing site or a provider’s office. They don’t need an outside laboratory to process. What’s more, many rapid tests are available over the counter (OTC). 

Pregnancy tests are super accurate when you use them correctly. The pregnancy tests you get at the drugstore work 99 out of 100 times. They’re just as accurate as a urine pregnancy test that you’d get at a doctor’s office.Pregnancy tests work by checking your urine (pee) for a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). Your body only makes this hormone if you’re pregnant. HCG is released when a fertilized egg attaches to the lining of your uterus — when pregnancy begins. If your pregnancy test results are positive, it means you're pregnant. If they’re negative, it means you’re not pregnant.Pregnancy tests are most accurate when you take them after you’ve already missed your period.A pregnancy test will be less accurate if it’s expired or if you don’t use it the right way. So always check the expiration date on the package, and carefully read the directions that come with your pregnancy test.

You can carry out most pregnancy tests from the first day of a missed period. If you don't know when your next period is due, do the test at least 21 days after you last had unprotected sex.Some very sensitive pregnancy tests can be used even before you miss a period.You can do a pregnancy test on a sample of urine collected at any time of the day. It doesn't have to be in the morning.

Could you be pregnant? Get answers to common questions about home pregnancy tests.By Mayo Clinic StaffTaking a home pregnancy test can be exciting, but it also may be stressful. That's especially true if you're not sure whether you should trust the results. Know when and how to take a home pregnancy test. And learn some of the possible drawbacks of home testing.

Could you be pregnant? Get answers to common questions about home pregnancy tests.By Mayo Clinic StaffTaking a home pregnancy test can be exciting, but it also may be stressful. That's especially true if you're not sure whether you should trust the results. Know when and how to take a home pregnancy test. And learn some of the possible drawbacks of home testing.

The day of your expected period is the day your period is due to start. If you still haven’t got your period the next day, this is the first day of your “missed period”. If you see instructions in the leaflet telling you, you can take a test 5 days before expected period, this is the same as 6 days before your missed period. The Clearblue® Early Detection Pregnancy Test, can detect hCG as early as 6 days before your missed period3.

Urine tests can be performed in two different ways and these can be performed at home or in a clinic. One way involves collecting your urine in a cup and dipping a stick into the urine or putting urine into a special container with an eyedropper. Another option involves placing a stick into your urine stream and catching your urine in midstream.Tests vary in how long you have to wait to get a result. You will be looking for a change in color, a line, or a symbol (like a plus or minus) or the words “not pregnant” or “pregnant”.