Generics can work just as well as a brand name

  • Accurate. All pregnancy tests claim to be 99 percent accurate on the day of a missed period and most come close to that claim. If early testing isn't important, buy the test that appeals to your wallet, even if it's just a generic brand. If early testing is important, consider a manual test like First Response Early Result that has a higher accuracy than digital tests.
  • Sensitive. Early testing depends on the level of pregnancy hormone the home pregnancy test will detect. The best will detect at least 20 mIU/mL of hCG while some detect as little as 15 mlU/mL.
  • Easy to use and read. All home pregnancy tests are activated by urine coming into contact with a stick or strip of material. Digital tests have built-in timers to ensure the proper wait time. All can be read in three minutes or less. There should be no confusion about the results. If you think you may get confused trying to read lines or plus/minus signs, purchase a digital test that tells you "yes" or "no" or "pregnant" or "not pregnant."

Know before you go

Where you are in your cycle. If it's very early in your menstrual cycle, you need a pregnancy test with good reviews for early testing. If you test too early, the results won't be accurate, so plan to test again a few days or a week later if you get a negative. Most pregnancy tests come in packs of two or three so the results can be verified.

How often you want to test. Pregnancy tests can get expensive if you test a lot. If you know you want to test frequently over a period of time, buy strips or bundled tests. Even if you're not planning to test often, a kit that comes with two or more tests is good for verification.

If you want to save the test. Some women like to save their positive pregnancy test as a keepsake to put in a baby book. Because digital tests are battery operated, the screen goes blank fairly quickly. Some users take a photograph while others take a second test using a strip test for saving.

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