Are ovulation test strips accurate in detecting pregnancy?

In the early days, many female friends would use ovulation test strips to test the results of pregnancy. In fact, using this method to test is only a preliminary judgment and the accuracy is relatively low, so it is not recommended. Female friends who think they might be pregnant must go to a regular hospital for examination in time to find out whether they are pregnant and then take the next step.

Are ovulation test strips accurate for early pregnancy testing?

Ovulation test strips can detect early pregnancy, but their accuracy rate is low and they are generally not recommended. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) has two chains, α and β. The structure of the α chain is basically similar to that of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and is prone to cross-reaction. Therefore, in medicine, β is generally used as the standard for determining whether pregnancy occurs. Ovulation test strips mainly detect LH, but not β-hCG, which can easily cause cross-reactions and affect the test results.

The absence of a weak positive result on the ovulation test strip does not mean that you are not pregnant, because cross-reaction is not inevitable. A positive ovulation test does not mean that you are pregnant, because it may be that LH has not completely withdrawn, or it may be a cross-reaction with FSH. So ovulation test strips can test early pregnancy, but the accuracy is not very high.

Precautions for early pregnancy test with ovulation test paper

1. Before using the ovulation test strip, you must first determine your menstrual cycle.

2. Commonly used medicines such as cold medicines, antibiotics, painkillers, etc. do not affect the accuracy of the test. However, taking or injecting hormone drugs will affect the test results, so avoid taking similar drugs during the test period.

3. Women with endocrine diseases such as ovarian cysts, polycystic ovary syndrome, amenorrhea caused by ovarian failure should not use ovulation test strips.

4. Do not use first morning urine for testing. The best time for testing is between 10 am and 8 pm every day, and try to use urine collected at about the same time.

5. Do not consume too much water within 2 hours before the test to avoid diluting the luteinizing hormone in the urine and affecting the test results.

6. When using, you should strictly follow the instructions and read the results within the specified time. If the specified time is exceeded, the results will be invalid.

7. After completing the test, it is best not to throw away the test paper or test pen immediately. You can keep it for comparison with future tests.

8. Ovulation test strips cannot detect pregnancy with 100% accuracy. When encountering problems with conception, you should go to the obstetrics and gynecology department of a regular hospital in time.