Is it okay to have sex after 8 days of pregnancy test?

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When is the best time to take a pregnancy test and how the test results suggest you are pregnant will be covered in this article. Equip yourself with a solid knowledge base to be able to handle and recognize common situations when you know you may be pregnant, so as not to fall into a state of surprise and embarrassment.

1. The mechanism of action of the pregnancy test strip

Most of today's pregnancy test strips on the market are test strips that quantify the concentration of β-hCG in your urine, which is a hormone secreted by the placenta, in normal women. This level is very low and will not be detected on the test strip. If the test is positive, there is a very good chance that you are pregnant.
How to use pregnancy test strips is very simple and convenient. Pregnancy test strips are widely available in the market, so you can easily access this pregnancy test. However, when is the most appropriate time to take a pregnancy test and how accurate the results are, it is necessary to go through the kinetics of β-hCG

2. Kinetics of β-hCG

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) is a glycoprotein with biological activity similar to LH and both act through the same LH-hCG receptor. The hCG hormone is structurally related to three other glycoprotein hormones- LH, FSH and TSH. All four glycoproteins share a common α subunit. However, each of their β subunits, despite sharing certain similarities, are characterized by a markedly different amino acid sequence.
At less than 5 weeks' gestation, hCG is produced in both the trophoblast and the trophoblast (Maruo, 1992). Then, in the first trimester of pregnancy when maternal plasma hCG levels peak, hCG is only produced by the syncytial trophoblast (Beck, 1986: Kurman, 1984). At this time, the mRNA levels of both the α and β subunits in the syncytial trophoblast are greater than at term (Hoshina, 1982). This is important to use screening hCG to identify fetal abnormalities.
The conjugated hCG molecule is detected in the plasma of pregnant women from day 7 to day 9 after midmenstrual cycle, the time when LH peaks for ovulation. Therefore hCG will enter the mother's blood at the time of implantation, plasma concentration increases very quickly, doubling every 2 days in the first trimester. Observing this concentration in pregnant women on the same day for see a significant change.
When the embryo attaches to the uterine lining and successfully implants, the trophoblast and syncytocyte begin to form, at this time, the concentration of β-hCG is elevated and can be detected by means of a blood test. pregnancy test.

3. Have sex after 8 days of pregnancy test?

Calculate the total time of conception and embryo formation and this embryo to implant in the uterus will take a total of about 10 to 15 days. This means that it takes about 10 to 15 days to know if you are pregnant after having sex. At this time, the concentration of β-hCG has increased enough to be detected in the urine.
If you take a pregnancy test after having sex for 8 days, and now the test result is negative, it is not certain that you are not pregnant, there are still some possibilities as follows:
This time is not enough allowing the fertilized egg to move into the uterus and implant there. At this point, the egg may be on its way to the uterus, it may be in the fallopian tube, or it has entered the uterus but has not yet implanted. At this time, the eggs have just started to implant, so the concentration of β-hCG in the urine is too low, not enough to be detected in a pregnancy test. The most optimal solution in this situation is to wait 5 more – The next 7 days, then take another pregnancy test for the most accurate results. If the 2-line test strip has a high probability that you are pregnant, go to a medical facility for appropriate examination and advice.

4. How to use a home pregnancy test

This home pregnancy test kit is now very popular, widely available in drugstores. However, for the most accurate home pregnancy test results, you must make sure to follow the instructions for use.
Home pregnancy test gives 99% accurate results when used on the first day of the first missed period. The best time to take a pregnancy test is in the morning after waking up because this is when the urine is most concentrated.
The results will not be accurate if the time of the pregnancy test is too early; improper use or expired pregnancy test kit.
The accuracy of a home pregnancy test depends on the following:
Your technique of using your pregnancy test kit, specific instructions are included with the pregnancy test kit, so please Read carefully before performing for the most accurate results. The time you take the pregnancy test, it is advisable to take a pregnancy test after 10-15 days when you suspect that you are pregnant, because if the pregnancy test is too early, the result can be false negative A pregnancy test is never too late, as soon as you suspect If you are pregnant by signs of pregnancy, take a pregnancy test right away, as β-hCG levels double every 48 hours during the first few weeks of pregnancy and peak at 8 to 10 weeks of pregnancy. You can read the results in 5-10 minutes. Any lines you see after 10 minutes may be incorrect and should be ignored. Besides, reading the results before 5 minutes also gives incorrect results.
If the pregnancy test is positive, you will see a second line appear along the control line on the test strip. This second line will appear after the urine sample has passed the cut-off range of this line.
Some pregnancy tests will have two separate windows and if the result is positive, lines will appear in both windows. Others have a plus sign design to show a positive pregnancy result.
If the pregnancy test result is negative, the test strip shows only the control line. You can check back about a week later to be sure.

5. Where pregnancy test gives false results

5.1 False Positive This is the case when you are not pregnant but the pregnancy test is positive. It can be encountered in some cases as follows:
Urine contains blood or protein. Side effects of certain medications you are taking, such as anticonvulsants, tranquilizers, and sleeping pills. hCG can be released from the pituitary gland at the time of peak LH (luteinizing hormone). A large proportion of fetuses in the early stages are aborted (premature pregnancy failure) before the fetus has progressed to the next stage. Therefore, taking a pregnancy test too early can detect false pregnancies. Levels of the hormone hCG are often elevated in premenopausal women. People undergoing fertility treatment may have a false positive result if the test is performed within 10 days of their last hCG treatment. 5.2 False negative This is the case when you are pregnant but the test result is negative. It can be encountered in some cases as follows:
The quality of the pregnancy test is not guaranteed You have not followed the instructions for use The urine sample is not tested immediately but left for a long time, from 30 minutes or more. Pregnancy test is too early when the amount of hCG is not produced enough. Urine is too dilute from drinking too much water right before the test. You are taking medications such as antihistamines and diuretics. However, to be sure that you are pregnant or not, you should immediately go to the nearest medical facility to have an ultrasound or measure β-hCG.
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