Pregnancy Test

[Sunflower12345]

Hi! So my period is a day late and I know that's not usually a cause for concern especially when I have been 3-4 days late in the past. However, I recently became sexually active and I'm a bit paranoid over pregnancy. I didn't really have a risk, or one that I know of, but condoms are the only form of birth control that I use and I've just been worried that it's not enough. Anyways, I have a first response digital pregnancy test on hand and I want to know whether I should wait until the morning to collect first morning urine or if I could take it now (its around 7 pm) in order to get accurate results. For context, the last time I had sex was November 19th right after my last period ended. Has enough time passed that I could get an accurate result? or should I sit it out for a bit longer? I also took a pregnancy test around 13/14 days after the Nov. 19 sex (it was around midnight so I'm not sure if it's technically Nov. 19 or Nov. 20) and it came out negative, can I trust that to be accurate too?

[Gone.Sorry.]

When it's best to take a pregnancy test can actually depend on the brand you buy and how sensitive it is! For the most accurate result, you should wait one week after your first missed period, but there are some tests that you can receive an accurate positive on the first day of your missed period (putting conception at about two weeks prior). Since pregnancy tests work off the levels of hgc in your body, you can get accurate positives if you wait about two weeks after having sex, as it takes 7 - 12 days after conception for hgc levels to develop in measurable amounts. The most sensitive tests can report an accurate positive about 8 days after conception (which can occur up to a couple days after having sex).

The first response digital pregnancy test is advertised to be able to detect pregnancy as soon as six days before your first missed period - however, this is only a 60% accuracy. The accuracy of the test was statistically calculated to be 99% when it was two or less days before the first day of your missed period.

Since your period has some flexibility of being 3 - 4 days off your expected and it's only been one missed day so far, for the most accurate results, I would usually suggest waiting a few more days. However, since you had sex right after your last period and it's been about a month, it should be pretty accurate if you take it now.
The first test you took was likely accurate, but it could depend on what brand you used. There's more about how to know if you used a test that would have been accurate in the link below.

ScarleTeen has a wonderful breakdown of pregnancy tests that should answer all your questions better than I just did, so you can find it here: Peeing on a Stick: All About Pregnancy Tests.

Since you're having a lot of anxiety around this, have you thought about adding another form of contraception to help you feel more at ease? Do you have any questions about your options or need some help figuring out how to go about getting an appointment to discuss a prescription with a doctor?

[Sunflower12345]

I used a First Response pregnancy test which I've heard is the most sensitive. I took the test this morning and it turned out negative but I'll take another one next week if my period still hasn't shown up. I'm hoping this test was accurate as it has been a little over three weeks since the incident and people usually say the test should be positive by then if you are pregnant.

[Gone.Sorry.]

Please excuse my brevity! I'm on mobile right now, but I wanted to get you a response now because I may have a late night tonight.

Are you feeling calmer now that you've seen that second negative?
You're right that first response has been tested as one of the most sensitive otc tests you can take.

Last time we spoke, you said you did have anxiety that you sometimes struggled with but were looking around for some professional help in dealing with your anxiety. Have you made any progress on this front? Do you have any questions about how to proceed with finding a therapist?

[Sunflower12345]

I'm still unsure of whether I should trust this test just because some people have said that a pregnancy test is only accurate one week after a missed period, but I'm not sure whether that applies in this situation as its been more than three weeks since I had sex so I am debating whether or not to test again. I have been extremely stressed this month and I know that can delay my period but I feel I won't have peace of mind until it comes.

Counseling and therapy is provided at my University but the semester ended and we're on break so I'm going to have to wait until around January before I start counseling. It's rough because I know that these fears are stemming from my anxiety problem and not because I had any concerning risk, but it's difficult to see that sometimes if that makes sense.

[Mo]

Are there things you've found helpful in managing your anxiety in the past? Also, if you haven't checked out our list of Anxiety and Other Mental Health Resources, that might be helpful. Maybe your local library or bookstore has one of the books listed there, or another one of those linked resources could be useful? I think trying to focus on anxiety management is going to be the best way to take care of yourself, right now.

[Sunflower12345]

I will definitely look into it, I've just been trying to distract myself by cooking and going out with friends which helps a lot.

[Siân]

It's great that you're recognising the pattern for what it is and taking steps to try and manage that anxiety. Doing things that you enjoy is definitely a good start. There are a lot of good additional resources in that link Mo shared, so taking some time to look through them is definitely worthwhile - do any of them stand out to you?

[Sunflower12345]

Yeah, I downloaded the anxiety managing app that I found on the page and it's been helping a lot! Thank you!

[Siân]

Glad to hear it! You're welcome