The beta HCG test, which is also known as a pregnancy blood test, is a kind of laboratory test that is done to find out if a woman is pregnant, this test gives a definite result. Unlike other test methods, the beta HCG test has almost no fallibility and it is performed by analysing the blood sample taken in a laboratory environment.

There are two different types of HCG hormone, defined as human chorionic gonadotropin, as alpha and beta. The beta type (beta HCG) of the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone, which is on the rise with the formation of pregnancy, is the most frequently used parameter for the pregnancy blood test. In other words, having continuous production of progesterone hormone during pregnancy allows mother-to-be to have healthy pregnancy beta HCG hormone lowers the chance of miscarriage. Post-transfer on the 6th day of the fertilization of sperm and egg, beta HCG hormone rises rapidly in blood this increase continues until the 12th week of the pregnancy, increase slows down. Another blood test applied is called qualitative HCG. This test analyses the presence of beta HCG by that we can understand if the women is pregnant or not. Before answering the question of when can I learn if I am pregnant via blood test after fertilization? We must first understand what pregnancy test is by blood.

What is Pregnancy Blood Test?

Pregnancy blood test is applied to understand whether if a women is pregnant it is applied after having the symptoms of pregnancy after sexual intercourse. Pregnancy blood test is a laboratory test and it can be applied at hospitals or laboratories. To be able to say a person is pregnant, we must detect the HCG hormone level in blood. Pregnancy blood tests have two types these are, qualitative and quantitative HCG blood tests. On Qualitative HCG blood test only the percentage of the HCG hormone in the blood is analysed to understand the presence of the HCG levels. Generally it is applied 11 days after the expected menstruation date, if there is HCG hormone in the blood test gives positive result, if there are no HCG hormone test gives negative result. Where Quantitative HCG test looks into the amount of HCG hormone in the blood. 6 days after fertilization beta HCG levels are checked to understand the level of HCG hormone in the blood to understand the risk of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. Woman who have positive pregnancy blood test result should bear in mind that this is only a pre-diagnosis. For the definite diagnoses of the pregnancy your doctor must conduct ultrasound examination to see the gestational sac. People who want to have pregnancy test generally ask when I should have pregnancy test? Or I think I am pregnant for a week, does the test give accurate result?

I think I am Pregnant When Should I Have Pregnancy Test?

Beta HCG hormone levels are checked when you understand that you may be pregnant, even though increase in the beta HCG levels can differ for each person generally it is suggested to have pregnancy blood test 11 days after your expected menstruation. Generally, woman who have wrong pregnancy tests are results are the ones that have pregnancy blood test earlier than 11 days. To prove that the test result is true, it should be repeated within 48 to 72 hours. Beta HCG should be increasing in relation with the pregnancy, high beta HCG result can be result of miscalculation of the pregnancy date, multiple pregnancy or mule pregnancy. Additional just having high beta HCG levels does not necessarily mean pregnancy has occurred healthily, for that ultrasound examination should be conducted to on the 4th or 5th week of the pregnancy to examine the gestational sac, in this way. If the beta HCG level is dropping this could be result of ectopic pregnancy and similar other conditions. If there are such case present, advanced diagnoses should be conducted.

Pregnancy Blood Test Result

Sac is formed during pregnancy to feed the embryo it is attached to the uterus wall, it is also know as placenta. For us to be able to analyse the pregnancy by blood it needs to pass the 11th day of the pregnancy. To prove that test gave the result was true, it should be repeated in 48 to 72 hours. The reason for us to wait and repeat the test is, HCG hormone increases rapidly during pregnancy until the 3rd month of the pregnancy then it reduces a bit stays at this level till the end of pregnancy. Therefore, 5mlU/ml or higher HCG results shows that the women is pregnant. Question that is frequently asked by patient who give beta HCG test, they commonly ask when I can get the results. Depending on the workload of the laboratory you can have your result within the same day.

What Should be the Level of HCG?

One of the frequently asked question by those who want to have beta HCG level is what should be the level of HCG hormone in blood? To be able to see the presence of pregnancy beta HCG result should be at least 5 mlU/ml. When pregnancy advances, beta HCG levels increase rapidly. For the 4 week pregnancy level should 5 to 425 mlU/ml on the 5th week of the pregnancy it will become 20 to 7300 mlU/ml it will reach to 1080 to 56000 mlU/ml on the 6th week of the pregnancy. Those values increase to the 12th week of the pregnancy. At this point, last menstruation date is taken as the first day of the pregnancy.

Blood Pregnancy Test Wrong Results

Although there is some margin of error in pregnancy tests that applied at home and urine pregnancy tests, the margin of error in blood pregnancy tests is quite low. However, a blood pregnancy test, which is carried out to determine the presence of pregnancy correctly in the early period, may give incorrect results in some cases. Although low levels of beta HCG indicate that the person is not pregnant, factors such as ectopic pregnancy, incorrect calculation of gestational week and early testing can lead to low beta HCG. Also, beta HCG level may be low in pregnancies that result in miscarriage. The test can be repeated after 48 to 72 hours to avoid such situations. A high beta HCG test indicates pregnancy. However, the wrong calculation of the date of pregnancy, and in the presence of a plural or mole pregnancy, the test may exceed the expected level. Drugs used, early abortion and some types of cancer can also lead to positive levels of beta HCG.

Pregnancy Blood Test and Urinary Pregnancy Test Difference

Urinary pregnancy test can be done at a health institution or at home with a pregnancy kit purchased at the pharmacy. In order to minimize the error margin of this test performed within the week after the menstrual delay, the test should be carried out on the 14th day following the menstrual delay. Some special pregnancy kits work on the 6th day after sexual intercourse. Urine is collected in a small jar from this test kit, and then the tip of the stick is immersed in the urine. It can be quickly learned that the test is negative or positive on the test stick. Since the methods mentioned here differ between the brands, the user manual of the product should be read carefully before testing. The blood pregnancy test can be done only in a laboratory setting. The blood taken from the vascular access of the person is sent to the laboratory and the results appear on the same day. When evaluated from this point of view, although the urine pregnancy test results faster, it is necessary to have a higher accuracy blood test to understand the pregnancy.