The title of this article applies pretty strongly in one instance and that is taking a pregnancy test. Whether you want to be pregnant or not, you have to find and use the best possible pregnancy tests to get the right result. Here are a few things that you can keep in mind when it comes to choosing a pregnancy test.

Sensitivity level

This is often given as a number followed by mIU/ml which means milli-international units per milliliter. It indicates the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG which gets produced in the body the minute an embryo gets implanted in the uterine wall. So if a pregnancy test can detect a really low reading, then it can be deemed to be more accurate.

Influencing factors

Pregnancy tests have varying success rates in terms of accuracy. However, it is good to remember that the readings can also be influenced by:

• Timing of the test – sometimes it may show negative if you take the test too early in your stage of pregnancy.
• Alcohol in the body.
• The dilution of the urine. In case you have drunk too much water – it can affect the reading.
• The brand name of the pregnancy test. Some brands have higher reliability than others.

You should also read the instructions carefully and completely before taking the test so you know exactly what to expect. Whether it is color change or a line appearing – you should know exactly how to administer and read the test.

Repeat tests

You may, in some cases, have to repeat the home pregnancy tests. So here is a set of tips and action points for you:

• Choose 2 or 3 different brands of pregnancy tests.
• Read the instructions thoroughly.
• Use the tests over a few days.

So even if you have taken the first test too early, you can recheck when you take the second or the third test. Here is why spacing it by a day or two is a good idea. The hCG measured by these tests doubles once in every 24 hours. So you have a better chance at getting a more accurate reading on your test. Of course, you can also rely on taking a just a single test by waiting for a few days after the due date of your period – so if your period was due on say, the 10^th of the month and you take the test a few days after that, you stand a better chance at accuracy.