Pregnancy Test Accuracy: When Can You Get a Reliable Result?

A pregnancy test detects the presence of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the urine or blood. hCG levels start to rise a few days after an embryo implants in the uterus, which typically occurs around 6-12 days after ovulation. However, it may take several days for hCG levels to become high enough to be detected by a pregnancy test.

Therefore, it is unlikely that a pregnancy test will show a positive result if you conceived 9 days ago. Most pregnancy tests are not sensitive enough to detect hCG levels that early in pregnancy. However, some highly sensitive pregnancy tests may be able to detect hCG levels as early as 10-12 days after ovulation.

If you think you may be pregnant, it is best to wait until at least 14 days after ovulation to take a pregnancy test. This will increase the chances of getting an accurate result.