A pregnancy test is a
common tool in detecting pregnancy. The demand for this product has increased
in the present years, resulting in numerous brands cropping up in the markets.
However the accuracy of these different kits may not always be reliable.
The pregnancy hormone
is composed of α-subunits and β-subunit. The β-subunit is unique thus high
specificity antibodies were developed for this subunit. This is the bases for
the detection of HCG in the urine or blood. Numerous commercial test kits are
available for measuring serum and urine levels of HCG, with each test using a
different combination of antibodies resulting in different levels of
sensitivity in detecting pregnancy. Normally, the hormone can be detected in
maternal plasma or urine by 8 to 9 days after insemination.
Though most of the
tests claim 99% accuracy of pregnancy detection, it may not be the case.
Research in clinical trials revealed that a detection limit of 12.5 mIU/mL HCG
is required to diagnose 95% of pregnancies at the time of a missed period. The
accuracy and reliability of 18 different home pregnancy tests were assessed and
it was found that only one brand had this degree of sensitivity. Commonly
available pregnancy tests sensitivity varies from 20mIU/mL to 100mIU/mL HCG.
By using tests with higher sensitivity (e.g. 20mIU/mL) pregnancy can be
detected sooner.
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