ABOUT PREGNANCY TEST LONG BUT WORTH THE READ FOUND THIS ON A ANOTHER WEBSIT
Hello everyone
I get really annoyed when I read all these articles and comments about 'evaporation lines' on home pregnancy tests, and especially, when such comments or articles are said to be written by so-called 'experts' or 'clinicians', and which seem to leave a large number of women with all sorts of doubts and anxieties about test-results. So I thought I would sit and write a few facts about various similar tests. I am a clinician and I also have much experience using various tests within laboratories or clinical settings. I have also been trained in the medical micro-biology (lab-testing). The home pregnancy tests are 'assay' tests which rely on specific reactions between chemicals, to produce coloured lines. The 'control' lines of the home pregnancy tests are assayed areas which are designed to react with specific chemicals commonly found in urine, and which, when detected, react with the chemicals in the control-line assays (strips/areas) and turn them a certain colour (pink or blue depending on the test used). However, the 'pregnancy' assay (test -area/strip) is designed to change colour only if it comes into contact with the HCG hormone – the 'pregnancy' hormone. HCG is only produced when an egg has been fertilised. So then, if no conception has occurred, then no HCG will be produced by the body, and therefore, no HCG will ever be found in the urine. Moving on... sometimes fertilisation occurs and HCG is produced for a while, but for some reason, the body detects that the pregnancy will not be successful (not 'viable') and the fertilised egg ceases to continue to divide and develop. So the pregnancy stops. However, until the pregnancy stops, the woman will still be producing HCG, and may well have some of the other 'usual' symptoms of pregnancy (though some women have absolutely no symptoms for a considerable period of time), and; although the pregnancy may have stopped almost as soon as it began; it may still take a couple weeks or so for all the HCG in the body to be disposed-of via the urinary system. Also, it may still take a couple weeks or so for the 'symptoms of pregnancy' to stop altogether. This process of fertilisation, followed by a very early termination is known as a 'chemical pregnancy', and many women can have these, whereby the woman is sure she is pregnant, but then she later has a period – even though a home pregnancy test might have shown a faint or clear line in the first couple weeks or so – and hence is why some women are left wondering why their period returned. So for those women whereby, unfortunately, fertilisation has occurred, but the pregnancy was not viable, they were pregnant, but the pregnancy stopped. However, for those women whose egg(s) is fertilised, and for whom the pregnancy continues, then they will continue to produce HCG from the moment of fertilisation, and, those levels of HCG will rise over the coming weeks, and will, at some stage, be readily detectable either by home pregnancy tests, or by blood tests via their local Doctor or Clinic. So then, back to home pregnancy tests ….. I have already said that the control lines react to molecules found within normal urine, and, when those molecules pass over those control-line areas (control 'assay' areas) then the molecules come into contact with other molecules within the control assay and they bind together. Indeed, they are attracted to each other by a process known as 'chemotaxis'. And on contact, two different molecules form a 'complex' which changes both it's shape and it's colour – hence the coloured control lines you see in the test areas. However, if the right molecules are not present in the urine, then no other molecules can bind to the control molecules – and no colouration will occur – so the test will be 'void' – and another test should be done. However, in the event of carrying out a test – and the control lines change colour as they should, then the woman or couple is anxiously waiting (if they wish to have a baby that is) for the 'positive' or 'pregnancy' line to change colour too! And here is where we need changed colour (pink or blue depending on the test etc), then, whilst the urine has spent several hours travelling up the stick from one end to it's other – and 'dripping out at the other end – the urine has been passing over the 'pregnancy' area all the while. Therefore, even if the HCG levels are virtually undetectable (but present in minute quantities), as the urine travels over the pregnancy-assay, the HCG will still be attracted-to (remember the 'chemotaxis' we talked about earlier) and will bind with the molecules in the pregnancy-assay – hence a positive coloured line showing up to several hours after the test was done. Like I said, no other molecule or hormone will make the pregnancy-assay change colour – except HCG. So, if after an hour, or several hours, you have a coloured line in any way, then HCG has been detected – and HCG can only be found in your urine if an egg has been fertilised. So let's not have any more if this 'evaporation line' confusion. If it's slightly grey or remains white – however long after the test you look - then no HCG is present. But if it 's coloured – then HCG is present – in whatever concentration – because only HCG can bring about the colouration of pink/blue, depending on the test you are using. And finally, some tests don't dry out for days – sometimes many days (especially those that you put the caps back on) - so the water-content of the urea has not even evaporated – yet people still go on about 'evaporation lines' – which, in my opinion, is nonsense. And for the record, my Wife's test had a coloured line several hours after we did the test – and I knew she was pregnant – despite the articles I read on the internet about evaporation lines. And indeed, the next tests proved that she was. I am critically aware of the intense emotions involved when people are hoping or trying to become pregnant - and I hate to think of the emotional heartache and anxieties that these mixed or uncertain test-results can cause - hence the reason for taking the time to write this short article. I hope it helps, and feedback - whether positive or otherwise - is always useful. Take care - and lots of baby-dust - to all prospective Mums-n-Dads
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