How long do you pee on a digital pregnancy test?

In this video, a midwife explains when you can take a pregnancy test and how to do it properly.

Back in your mom's day, you had to miss your period before you took a pregnancy test — and wait a couple of hours before you knew the results. These days you can find out you're expecting much earlier, faster and with better accuracy using home pregnancy tests.

All pregnancy tests measure the same thing: urinary levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a placenta-produced hormone of pregnancy. HCG finds its way into your bloodstream and urine almost immediately after an embryo implants in the uterus. However, it does take some time before concentrations are high enough to be detected.

When should you take a pregnancy test?

Your best bet is to wait to take a pregnancy test until about 19 days after fertilization in order for hCG to build up to a level that’s detectable in your urine. HCG production begins as soon as the embryo implants in your uterus, which is between six to 12 days after fertilization. 

As soon as a test can detect hCG, it can show you (depending on the brand) an extra pink line, a blue one, a positive sign or a big digital yes — all indicating a positive result.

How soon can you take a pregnancy test?

Can’t wait to pee on that stick? Understandably, you're likely wondering how early pregnancy can be detected by a home pregnancy test. Although it'll be hard to wait even a few days to find out whether there's a baby in your future, you may be wasting your money if you try taking a pregnancy test the morning after you hope you conceived.

While home pregnancy tests are growing ever more sensitive and accurate, there is a limit to how soon a pregnancy test you buy can work. If you test just seven days after ovulation, pregnancy tests generally can't pick up the very low levels of hCG in your urine. That means you'll likely get a "false negative" even if sperm has met egg.

There are, however, some brands of pregnancy tests that claim they’re sensitive enough to detect hCG up to five or six days before your missed period. Still, you’ll get the most accurate results (and avoid the disappointment of a potential false negative) if you can wait until the day your period is expected.

How to take a pregnancy test

The details of how you should use a home pregnancy test vary by brand — but in general, it's probably the simplest test you'll ever take. To improve accuracy:

• Don’t drink too many liquids before you take the pregnancy test because it can dilute hCG levels.
• Check the expiration date and avoid using an expired pregnancy test.
• Read the package directions thoroughly and follow them meticulously.
• You'll either hold the test stick in your stream of urine for a few seconds, or collect your urine in a cup and dip the stick into it. 
• Follow the home pregnancy test package directions for how long you should wait and how to identify a positive result.
• Now you’ll wait — but not for long. You'll see a control indicator (either a horizontal or vertical line, a filled-in circle or a flashing control symbol in digital tests) to let you know that the pregnancy test is working. The result itself requires a couple minutes. And yes, it’s true that any line you see in the pregnancy test result panel, no matter how faint it is (or no matter how faint you feel), means that there's hCG in your system — and a baby in your future.

How accurate are pregnancy tests?

It depends on when and how you use them, but some pregnancy tests claim to be up to 99 percent accurate if you follow the instructions — although experts say in reality accuracy is closer to 75 percent. A few factors that determine how accurate your home pregnancy test will be:

• When you take the pregnancy test. Some tests can give an accurate read days before you miss your period. But if you wait until the day your period is supposed to start — at which point your body is producing enough hCG for the test to more accurately detect it — you have a 90 percent chance of the correct result. 
• When the embryo implants. In 10 percent of women, implantation doesn't occur until the first day of their missed period, which means they might not get an accurate reading even until they wait until a day or two after they miss their periods. So with every additional day you wait, there's a better chance you'll have hCG in your system, and the home pregnancy test gets more accurate.
• How concentrated your urine is. Pregnancy tests used to recommend using your first pee of the morning, when more hCG is present. But now they're sensitive enough that that's not necessary, although it does help if you're taking the test early. Similarly, drinking too much liquid beforehand could dilute your urine and affect the results.

Are there different types of home pregnancy tests?

Though different brands show results differently (some with double pink or blue lines, some with a plus or minus sign, some with words like "yes"/"no" or "pregnant"/"not pregnant"), and they range in price, they all work the same way: by detecting levels of the hCG pregnancy hormone in the urine, which begins to appear shortly after implantation.

How much do pregnancy tests cost?

How much pregnancy tests cost depends on the specific type and brand of home pregnancy test. They usually come in packs of two or three, which cost anywhere from $5 to $25.

Can medications affect pregnancy test results?

Most medications won't affect the accuracy of home pregnancy tests, although fertility drugs containing the hormone hCG are a notable exception. If you're not sure, check the package or talk to your doctor.

Can you get a false positive pregnancy test? What about a false negative pregnancy test? 

Yes, you can get both a false positive pregnancy test and a false negative. But false positives are much less common than false negatives. So if your home pregnancy test is positive, it's likely that you're pregnant.

If you get a false negative pregnancy test result, it's likely either because you've taken the test too early or you haven't taken it correctly as outlined on the label.

It is possible to get a false positive result on an early pregnancy test before a subsequent test comes back negative. In some cases, that's because very early testing detected a chemical pregnancy — an egg that was fertilized but for some reason never implanted. These very early miscarriages are actually extremely common, accounting for around 3 in 4 of all pregnancy losses (and because they happen so early, the vast majority of women who’ve had one don’t even know they’ve conceived).

If it turns out that you likely have experienced a very early pregnancy loss, it’s natural to feel confused or upset. Knowing the odds are in your favor to conceive again — and give birth to a healthy baby — can help. No matter what, it’s always best to see your medical practitioner to get a more definitive pregnancy test result. 

What should I do if I get a positive pregnancy test?

Your best bet is to visit your health care provider to have your result confirmed by a blood test — which measures hCG levels in your blood and can detect pregnancy with nearly 100 percent accuracy. At the same time, you can ask for a complete prenatal checkup. And if your positive pregnancy test is confirmed by your doctor, congratulations!

You can use a home pregnancy test to determine whether or not you may be pregnant. You may have missed your period or be worried that your birth control didn't work. Home pregnancy tests are pretty simple to use, but it is very important that you carefully read all of the directions. The tests' accuracy depends on you correctly following the directions and interpreting the results.

Illustration by Cindy Chung, Verywell

Pregnancy tests work by detecting hCG (the pregnancy hormone) in your urine. When a fertilized egg has implanted into your uterus, your body will begin to make hCG.

Most home pregnancy tests have about the same ability to detect hCG—they give a positive result if your hCG level is at least 20mIU (mIU is a level of measurement). Some home pregnancy tests are a little bit more sensitive and others a little less. Usually, the instructions tell you the sensitivity levels of the test.

A good rule of thumb is to wait at about 21 days (three weeks) after you last had unprotected sex/birth control failure before using a home pregnancy test—or at least one day after a missed period. On average, 20mIU/hCG levels are present about seven to ten days past ovulation. During a typical cycle:

• Most people ovulate 14 or 15 days from the first day of their menstrual cycle.
• If the egg is not fertilized, then the next period should begin about 14 days after ovulation; these two 14-day spans make up a 28-day cycle.
• If the egg is fertilized, implantation generally happens at around 9 days (average 6 to 12 days) days after ovulation.
• Once implantation takes place, hCG will begin to be made (20 to 26 days into the cycle).

Take these steps to get a home pregnancy test and prepare to use it.

1. Buy a test. When buying a home pregnancy test, some experts suggest that you purchase one from a large store that has a lot of product turnover. This way, you will be more likely to buy a newer test and not one that has been sitting on the shelves for months.
2. Check the expiration date on the test and make sure it is still valid. If you bought the test awhile ago and have been storing it, especially in an area like a bathroom (where it gets warm or moist), make sure that it has not expired. If it has, buy a new one.
3. Read all of the directions carefully (because they may be different for each pregnancy test brand). If you have any questions about how to perform the test or interpret the results, look for a toll-free number in the package instructions. You can call this number to have your questions answered.
4. Gather your supplies. In addition to the test kit, you will need a watch or timer, a flat surface, and possibly a clean collection cup for urine.

Take your test first thing in the morning. Your urine is more concentrated at this time. If you are pregnant, your first morning pee will have a higher amount of hCG in it than pee from later on in the day.

To begin, wash your hands with warm water and soap. Remove the pregnancy test from its foil wrapper. Depending on the particular home pregnancy test, you should pee in a collection cup or pee directly onto the pregnancy test stick. Some tests will give you the option to collect your urine either way.

It is important to catch a "midstream sample." This means that you should let out a little bit of pee first, and then use the rest of your pee for the test.

• If the test requires you to pee directly onto the stick, place the side of the test stick with the absorbent tip in your urine stream with the result window facing up. Pee on it for about 5 to 10 seconds (or whatever time it says in the directions).
• If you have collected your urine in a cup, use the supplied dropper to place a small amount of pee in the testing well. If your test did not provide a dropper but said that you could use a collection cup, dip the absorbent end of the pregnancy test into the cup of pee and hold in place for 5 to 10 seconds (or whatever time it says in the directions).

Place the pregnancy testing stick on a flat, dry surface with the "result window" facing up. The instructions will tell you how many minutes to wait for the results to appear. This can be anywhere from one minute to five minutes, though some home pregnancy tests can take up to 10 minutes to give you an accurate result.

There will most likely be a "control window" on the test as well as a result window. You will probably see the background in the control window get darker as the urine passes through. Most control windows will display a line or symbol to show that the test is valid. If this control indicator does not appear, chances are very likely that the test is not valid or did not work properly.

Once the required amount of time has passed, you can check the results. Keep in mind that different tests may display the results differently, so make sure you read in the instructions what shape or symbol you should be looking for. Examples include:

• A pink or blue line
• A red plus or minus sign
• A color change in the window or in the urine in the test
• The words "pregnant" or "not pregnant"

If any line, symbol, or sign shows up in the results window, no matter how faint, you can consider the home pregnancy test result to be positive. A line will not show up if the test does not detect hCG—so even the faintest line means that the test has picked up on hCG in your pee.

If you got a positive test result on your home pregnancy test, it is important that you make a medical appointment. Your doctor can confirm the result of your home pregnancy test and begin prenatal care.

Your test result is only accurate if you see the indicator during the specified amount of time. If the instructions say to wait three minutes, whatever shows in the result window after three minutes is your test result. If the test sits for too long, an evaporation line may appear. If any line, symbol, or sign shows up after the amount of time specified in the instructions, this is not considered a positive pregnancy test result.

If the home pregnancy test gives you a negative result, but you do not get your period, you should retest in 3 to 5 days. If you ovulated later in your cycle or did not properly calculate your ovulation date, you may have taken the pregnancy test too soon to receive a positive test result.

Since the amount of hCG increases rapidly when you are pregnant, you may end up with a positive test just a few days after a negative one. This is why some home pregnancy test kits come with more than one test—so you have another one to re-test with.

If you took your test fewer than 7 days after your missed period, do not automatically believe that a negative test result means that you are not pregnant. You may have taken the home pregnancy test too soon. Wait another week. If by that time you still have not gotten your period and are still getting a negative test result, you should make an appointment with your doctor to figure out if something may be going on.

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