When to Take a Pregnancy Test: Timing & Accuracy

It is recommended to wait at least one week after the missed period before taking a pregnancy test. This is because the level of the pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), in the urine may not be high enough to be detected by the test before this time. Taking the test too early may result in a false negative result, meaning that the test indicates a negative pregnancy when you are actually pregnant.

If you are eager to know whether you are pregnant and cannot wait a full week after missing your period, you can take a sensitive pregnancy test or a blood test. A sensitive pregnancy test can detect lower levels of hCG in the urine than a standard test and may be able to provide a positive result earlier. A blood test can also detect pregnancy earlier than a urine test, as it measures the level of hCG in the blood.

However, it is still advisable to wait at least a few days after your missed period before taking any type of pregnancy test to increase the chances of obtaining an accurate result.