2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49
Digital pregnancy test
The digital pregnancy test is a modern device that allows you to determine if conception has occurred. Digital tests differ significantly from their "predecessors" - plastic test strips - in convenience and ease of use.
In addition, manufacturers equip the latest generation digital tests with a USB port, which allows you to connect the device to a computer and get maximum information. This can be very useful for women who want to not only dispel their doubts about pregnancy, but also carefully approach the planning process.
Content:
- How it works and benefits of a digital test
- Disadvantages of a digital pregnancy test
- Instructions for a digital pregnancy test
- Causes of digital test errors
How it works and benefits of a digital test
Many women will be interested in the question, why are pregnancy tests called digital? The devices received this name due to the fact that they are equipped with a digital (electronic) display on which useful information is displayed. Depending on the selected device, it may contain information about the presence or absence of pregnancy, as well as its period in weeks.
As for the principle of operation of such tests, it is based on the determination of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in a woman's urine. This hormone is produced by chorion, which will later become the placenta. He begins to "work" already on the 6th day after fertilization.
The hormone is excreted along with urine, which is needed for research. The test evaluates the level of human chorionic gonadotropin and gives the result. Unlike standard test strips, the digital test also responds to luteinizing hormone, which also indicates pregnancy. Due to this, the diagnostic accuracy is increased.
The latest innovation in early early pregnancy diagnosis is reusable digital tests. They resemble a flash drive with a USB port. The device stores the result and transfers it to the PC. Several cartridges are supplied with the test. After the procedure for determining pregnancy is completed, the cartridge is inserted into a special connector and connected to the computer. It reads and interprets information. The result of such a pregnancy test is stunning - the device allows you to determine the date of the expected birth and the gestational age in weeks. If conception has not occurred, then the test will give a negative result and even suggest the optimal date for the next fertilization.
A separate point should be noted the convenience of using digital test, each of which is inkjet. This means that there is no need to collect urine in a separate container to determine pregnancy. It will be enough just to put the test under a stream of urine and hold it for a few seconds. After the time specified in the instructions for a particular device, it will be possible to evaluate the result.
Another important feature of modern digital tests is that they allow you to determine pregnancy not from the first day of delay in menstruation, but somewhat earlier. The fact is that most tests of previous generations had a sensitivity to hCG at 25 mIU / ml. Digital tests have a sensitivity of 10 mIU / ml, which allows diagnostics 4-5 days before the onset of menstruation. However, you need to understand that the accuracy of the result may suffer from this, which is primarily due to the individual characteristics of the body of each woman.
It is worth noting separately such an advantage of digital tests as their convenient design. As a rule, they all have an elongated shape, which makes the procedure as hygienic as possible.
It is also possible to purchase a device that combines both a pregnancy test and an ovulation test. This is a great option for women who are careful about pregnancy planning.
Disadvantages of a digital pregnancy test
If we consider the disadvantages of a digital pregnancy test, then there is only one - the high cost of the device. However, in return, a woman gets the opportunity to carry out the procedure a few days earlier, as well as find out the exact duration of pregnancy, which is important. In addition, cheap test strips often give a false result, or do not work at all. Therefore, testing has to be carried out again, which entails additional financial costs. Therefore, the modern digital test is a worthy alternative.
Instructions for a digital pregnancy test
Using a digital pregnancy test is not at all difficult, especially since each of them has detailed instructions. It is imperative that you carefully familiarize yourself with it in order to avoid mistakes and not get a false result.
If this is not possible, then the general rules for the use of digital pregnancy tests should be followed:
- The test must be removed from the packaging and the protective cap removed from the tip.
- Then you should bring the tip of the test under the stream of urine and leave in this position for 5 seconds. Care should be taken to ensure that no liquid gets onto other parts of the device.
- After this time, the cap is put back on the tip and the test is placed on a flat and dry surface. Alternatively, you can hold the device with the tip down. It is strictly forbidden to turn it over with the tip upwards, as this may negatively affect the results.
- To get the result, you need to wait about 3-5 minutes, then evaluate it. As a rule, at this time an hourglass icon appears on the screen, which constantly blinks.
In general, these rules are the same for all modern digital tests.
As for the assessment of the result, depending on the manufacturer, it is written on a digital display with the words "pregnant" or "not pregnant", or with the signs "+" or "-". Most digital tests additionally provide information on the duration of pregnancy in weeks. Most often, the result remains displayed on the screen throughout the day.
If the digital pregnancy test has a USB port, you must connect it to your computer and follow the instructions on the monitor.
Causes of digital test errors
Like any other device, a digital pregnancy test can give false positives, false negatives, or none at all. This happens for a number of reasons that you must be aware of in order to minimize the risk of such an error.
Firstly, it is necessary to take into account the following information regarding obtaining a reliable result: its accuracy is the higher, the closer to the beginning of the expected monthly the test is performed.
Here are some statistics provided by the manufacturers of digital tests themselves:
- By performing a study on the first day of missed periods, a woman will receive a result that is 99% accurate.
- If pregnancy is diagnosed 1 day before the start of menstruation, then the accuracy of the result is 98%.
- When the test is performed two days before the start of your period, the accuracy is 97%.
- If the test is carried out 3 days before the onset of menstruation, the accuracy of the study will be no more than 89%.
- If you make a test 4 days before the start of the expected menstruation, then the accuracy of such a result does not exceed 55%.
It is also worth considering that each woman produces hCG in different volumes. Of course, there are averaged general indicators, but one should not forget about the individual characteristics of the organism.
The test may not work at all for the following reasons:
- The device was initially defective due to inaccurate transportation or non-compliance with its storage conditions.
- The device has expired.
- The test was performed incorrectly, for example, there was not enough urine for a reliable study.
- During the test, significant errors were made.
A false negative result can be obtained under the following circumstances:
- The woman performed the test too early. This happens especially often when a woman's menstrual cycle is irregular.
- It is possible that the woman's urine is too diluted. This often happens while taking diuretics or drinking plenty of water throughout the day. Therefore, all test manufacturers recommend performing the procedure in the morning using the first portion of urine. This is especially true when testing is done early.
- In a woman, pathological processes associated with kidney disease occur in the body. In this case, hCG will not be excreted in the urine at the required concentration.
- A false negative result can be obtained when a woman has an ectopic pregnancy, or there is a threat of early miscarriage. A similar situation develops with such a pregnancy pathology as a frozen embryo.
A false positive result of a digital pregnancy test can be obtained for the following reasons:
- The woman was recently pregnant. Moreover, it is not at all necessary that the pregnancy ends in childbirth. The test can give a false positive result after a miscarriage or abortion. The fact is that the level of hCG decreases in the body gradually, over several weeks, which leads to the occurrence of such errors.
- The hormonal background can be changed by taking certain medications that contain chorionic gonadotropin.
- The level of hCG increases when a woman has a hormone-producing tumor.
Therefore, if there are any doubts about the accuracy of the result obtained, then the test must be repeated after a few days. In this regard, reusable digital tests are very convenient. If the subsequent result also did not satisfy the woman, then it is best to seek the advice of a doctor.
The author of the article: Lapikova Valentina Vladimirovna | Gynecologist, reproductologist
Education: Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynecology received at the Russian State Medical University of the Federal Agency for Healthcare and Social Development (2010). In 2013 completed postgraduate studies at N. N. N. I. Pirogova.
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