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A digital pregnancy test is a modern device that allows you to determine whether conception has occurred. Digital tests differ significantly from their “predecessors” – plastic test strips – in terms of 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 helpful for women who want to not only clear their doubts about pregnancy, but also carefully consider the planning process.
Working principle and advantages of the digital test
Many women will be interested in the question, why are pregnancy tests called digital? The devices got this name due to the fact that they are equipped with a digital (electronic) display, which displays useful information. Depending on the selected device, it may contain information about the presence or absence of pregnancy, as well as its duration in weeks.
As for the principle of operation of such tests, it is based on the determination of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in the urine of a woman. This hormone is produced by the chorion, which will later become the placenta. He begins to “work” already on the 6th day after fertilization.
The hormone is excreted along with the urine, which is needed for the study. 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. This improves the diagnostic accuracy.
The latest innovation in the field of early rapid pregnancy diagnostics are reusable digital tests. They look like a flash drive with a USB port. The device remembers 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 a 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 did not occur, then the test will give a negative result and even tell you the optimal date for the next fertilization.
A separate point should be noted the convenience of using a digital test, each of which is an inkjet. This means that you do not need to collect urine in a separate container to determine pregnancy. It will be enough just to substitute the test under the 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 a missed period, but a little earlier. The fact is that most tests of previous generations were sensitive to hCG at 25 mIU / ml. Digital tests have a sensitivity of 10 mIU / ml, which allows diagnosis 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 allows you to make the procedure as hygienic as possible.
You can also purchase a device that combines both a pregnancy test and an ovulation test. This is a great option for women who are carefully planning their pregnancy.
Disadvantages of Digital Pregnancy Test
If we consider the disadvantages of a digital pregnancy test, then it exists only one – this is 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 gestational age, which is important. In addition, cheap test strips quite 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 must be carefully read in order to avoid mistakes and not get a false result.
If this is not possible, then you should use the general rules for the use of digital pregnancy tests:
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 it in this position for 5 seconds. Care must be taken to ensure that liquid does not get on other parts of the device.
After this time, the cap is again put on the tip and the test is placed on a flat and dry surface. Or you can hold the device with the tip down. It is strictly forbidden to turn it upside down, as this may adversely affect the results.
To get the result, you need to wait about 3-5 minutes, and 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 evaluation of the result, depending on the manufacturer, it is written on the digital display with the words “pregnant” or “not pregnant”, or with the signs “+” or “-”. Most digital tests additionally provide information regarding the gestational age in weeks. Most often, the result remains displayed on the screen throughout the day.
If the digital pregnancy test is equipped with a USB port, then it must be connected to the computer and follow the instructions that appear on the monitor.
Causes of Digital Test Errors
Like any other device, a digital pregnancy test can give false positives, false negatives, or no readings at all. This happens for a number of reasons that you need to 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 menstruation the test is performed.
Here are some statistics provided by the digital test manufacturers themselves:
Performing a study on the first day of a missed period, a woman will receive a result whose accuracy is 99%.
If pregnancy is diagnosed 1 day before the onset of menstruation, then the accuracy of the result is 98%.
When the test is performed two days before the onset of menstruation, the accuracy of the result equates to 97%.
When conducting a test 3 days before the onset of menstruation, the accuracy of the study will be no more than 89%.
If you do a test 4 days before the start of the expected menstruation, then the accuracy of this result does not exceed 55%.
It is also worth considering that each woman produces hCG in different volumes. Of course, there are average general indicators, but we must not forget about the individual characteristics of the body.
The test may not work at all for the following reasons:
The device was initially defective due to careless transportation or non-compliance with the conditions of its storage.
The device has expired.
The test was performed incorrectly, for example, there was not enough urine for a reliable study.
Significant errors were made during the test.
A false negative result can be obtained under the following circumstances:
The woman took 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 dilute. This often occurs while taking diuretics or when drinking large amounts of water during the day. Therefore, all test manufacturers recommend performing the procedure in the morning, using the first portion of urine. This is especially true for early testing.
In a woman, pathological processes associated with kidney diseases occur in the body. In this case, hCG will not be excreted in the urine in the required concentration.
A false negative result can be obtained when a woman has an ectopic pregnancy, or there is a threat of an early miscarriage. A similar situation develops with such pathology of pregnancy as a frozen embryo.
A false positive digital pregnancy test result 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. A false positive test result can be given after a miscarriage or abortion. The fact is that the level of hCG in the body decreases gradually, over several weeks, which leads to the occurrence of such errors.
To change the hormonal background can take certain medications that contain human chorionic gonadotropin.
The level of hCG increases when a woman has a hormone-producing tumor.
Therefore, if there is any doubt about the accuracy of the result, then the test should 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.