How to Compare Pregnancy Tests
Although some women may grab the first box of pregnancy tests they see at the drugstore, most women will compare various pregnancy tests before deciding which to buy. However, some women are unaware of the best ways to compare pregnancy tests. Although some of the factors will simply depend on personal preference, there are simple steps that should be taken to ensure that you are comparing the pregnancy tests thoroughly and appropriately.
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Instructions
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Check the pregnancy test's HCG detection level. The lower the level, the sooner you may get a positive result if you are, in fact, pregnant. Home pregnancy tests have sensitivity levels of 25 mIU to 100 mIU.
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Read online consumer reviews about the pregnancy tests. The best source of information about all the quirks of a particular brand of pregnancy test is straight from people who have used it. Good sources for this information include Amazon.com, Drugstore.com and Early-Pregnancy-Tests.com.
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Consider ease of interpreting results. Some pregnancy tests will have a digital display, others will display one or two lines or a plus or minus sign. Try to decide which display would be easiest for you to interpret.
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Consider ease of use. Some pregnancy tests require you to simply urinate on the stick, while others use a test strip technique. Decide which method you would prefer.
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Consider price. There is a wide range of prices for pregnancy tests. Some pregnancy tests can actually be found at dollar stores for only a dollar, while some with digital displays can sell for at least $20.
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Consider availability. Certain brands of pregnancy tests are only available online, while others are well-known brands found in almost every drugstore. Therefore, when you are considering which pregnancy test is right for you, take into consideration how easy or difficult it will be to obtain the test.
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Tips & Warnings
Many pregnancy test coupons can be found in flyers from your newspaper, but often you can go to the manufacturer's website to receive pregnancy test coupons as well.
Be aware of something called evaporation lines or ghost lines when interpreting your results. These are light lines that can mimic a positive pregnancy result and mislead women into thinking they are pregnant when they are not. In order to avoid this happening to you, make sure to only interpret pregnancy test results within the recommended time period in the instructions and disregard any results seen after that time period has passed.
