Pregnancy Test Timing: When to Take for Accurate Results

You should wait at least one week after your missed period to take a pregnancy test. This will give your body enough time to produce enough of the pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), for the test to detect. Taking a pregnancy test too early may result in a false negative.

If you take a pregnancy test too early, the level of hCG in your urine may be too low for the test to detect. This can lead to a false negative result, even if you are pregnant. Waiting at least one week after your missed period will help to ensure that the hCG levels in your urine are high enough for the test to detect.

If you get a negative pregnancy test result but you still think you might be pregnant, you can repeat the test a few days later. If you still get a negative result, you should see your doctor to rule out other possible causes for your symptoms.