First to know, the home blood pregnancy test
It’s called First To Know ® , and it’s the first test that we can buy in pharmacies, which can be done comfortably at home, on blood, to understand if a pregnancy is in progress.
Given the high sensitivity (10 mIU/ml) it can be done just 7-8 days after ascertained ovulation (and therefore from presumed conception).
Confirmed means that you have verified that you ovulated not with calculators, but using ovulation tests , or by taking your basal temperature or monitoring your cervical mucus (if you have experience with the Billings method).
The test was born in the United States under the name of ADEXUSDx ® , but is labeled and marketed in Europe under the brand name FIRST TO KNOW ® (in Italy it is distributed by Welcome Pharma)
How to perform the First to Know blood pregnancy test
It is an immunoassay used for the qualitative detection of human chorionic gonadotropin in human whole blood, plasma or serum and is indicated as an aid to healthcare professionals in the early diagnosis of pregnancy. A sensitivity and specificity greater than 99% is reported .
Pregnancy tests are based on the detection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG ), a hormone produced around the fourth to fifth day after conception. Levels of hCG rise rapidly and double approximately every two days.
The method of carrying out the test is similar to that used to monitor blood sugar in diabetic patients.
Just make a small prick on the fingertip to get a drop of blood that is used to perform the test. The result is obtained in just 10 minutes.
How to do the hcg beta test at home
- wash your hands well with warm water and soap
- prepare hand for puncture
- with the lancing device make a small prick on the pad of the chosen finger
- to facilitate the release of the drop of blood, a slight compression can be exerted at the base of the site and of the fingertip.
- the drop is loaded into the test, the channel of which must be completely full. If the drop were not enough, just squeeze the fingertip a little to let out a further drop.
- Once the test channel has been filled, it is positioned on a horizontal plane and waited for 10 minutes
How to read test result First To Know
As with normal urine pregnancy tests , there is a control line C that should appear if the test was done correctly.
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.