If you're taking a home pregnancy test, you want reliable results. But how much do you really need to pay for peace of mind?
When you're buying pregnancy tests, there are a few small but notable differences between various options to keep in mind.
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Key Takeaways
- Home pregnancy tests come in a range of costs, from less than $1 for the most basic tests to $14 for the fancier ones with digital displays.
- Regardless of the cost, most home pregnancy tests claim to be 99% accurate and are regulated by the FDA. A cheaper one will give you the same results as a more expensive one, but the ones with digital displays may be easier to read.
- Some public health clinics, like Planned Parenthood, offer free pregnancy tests.
- You can also get a blood pregnancy test done at a doctor's office, though it will cost more than a home pregnancy test. The cost varies depending on the clinic and your insurance. Urine tests are very accurate, though, so you likely won't need a blood test.
How much is a pregnancy test?
The cost of a home pregnancy test varies widely, from less than $1 for the most basic tests to $14 or more for those with digital displays.
Pregnancy test strips are sold in packs of 15, 20, 30, or more. These are very inexpensive – often less than $0.50 per test – making them a great choice if you're a frequent tester.
(By the way, these are the best pregnancy tests, according to BabyCenter moms and editors.)
Are cheap pregnancy tests accurate?
No matter how much they cost, at-home pregnancy tests generally claim to be 99% accurate if you follow the instructions and test at the right time (the day you miss your period or after).
"I don't recommend one test over another. Whatever is accessible and available should suffice," says Layan Alrahmani, M.D., a board-certified ob-gyn and maternal-fetal medicine specialist, assistant professor at Loyola UniversityOpens a new window in Chicago, and member of the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board. "At the doctor's office, the cheaper tests are usually used."
You can be relatively sure that the results are as advertised: All home pregnancy tests sold in the United States are required to be tested and cleared by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which reviews accuracy claims. The FDA monitors false positive and false negative reports and has been known to recall pregnancy tests that are inaccurate.
Whatever is accessible and available should suffice. At the doctor's office, the cheaper tests are usually used.
- Dr. Layan Alrahmani, ob-gyn
That said, you might be willing to shell out more for your test if you want a less ambiguous result – especially if you're testing on the early side.
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A frequent complaint about cheaper tests and strips is that the display can be difficult to interpret. You might see a faint line and not know what to make of it. Or you could get an evaporation line if you wait too long to read the results, resulting in a false positive.
"Different brands will give you different intensities of the color of the test line," says BabyCenter Community member CLS19218. "… Call your doctor, and they can order quantitative HCGs if they want to."
On a more expensive test with a digital display, the results (the words "pregnant" or "not pregnant") are very clear.
User error is a common and avoidable cause of false positive and false negative results. Make sure you know what not to do when taking a pregnancy test – for example, don't use an expired test, and don't chug water before testing.
Another reason to consider buying a more expensive pregnancy test is that it may be more sensitive and give you results sooner.
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"When I got a faint positive on a cheap brand, I went and grabbed a First Response Early Result (FRER) test and a ClearBlue with pink dye and it helped clear it up," says Community member MrsVenters23.
Healthcare providers generally recommend waiting until the day of your missed period (or possibly a day earlier) to take a home pregnancy test. But some tests claim to be able to detect pregnancy up to five days before your missed period.
These "early" pregnancy tests may be able to detect smaller amounts of the pregnancy hormone hCG in your urine. While most tests pick up hCG levels of 25 mIU/ml (milli-international units per milliliter), some tests claim to be able to pick up levels as low as 10 mIU/ml.
Of course, this relies on knowing the exact day your period is expected to arrive, which is uncertain even if you have regular periods. If you have an irregular period, you'll need to wait longer to test to be sure your results are accurate.
What's more, hCG levels start rising only after the fertilized egg implants in the uterus – and implantation timing can vary by several days. If you don't want to be falsely excited (or disappointed), you're better off waiting to test until the day you expect your period.
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"I know the wait is so hard, but I'd just test when you expect your period and maybe a couple of days after just to be sure," says BabyCenter Community member Karissa319.
I know the wait is so hard, but I'd just test when you expect your period and maybe a couple of days after just to be sure.
- BabyCenter Community member Karissa319
Can I get a free pregnancy test?
Local, public health clinics offer free pregnancy tests, including Planned ParenthoodOpens a new window.
Crisis pregnancy centers also offer free tests. However, some of these centers have a goal of preventing abortions, may not be run by medical professionals, and may not offer reliable and comprehensive medical information.
"There are some pregnancy testing centers that do a urine test and ultrasound at little to no cost, at any point after a missed period," says BabyCenter Community member skyyp.
How much is a blood pregnancy test?
Blood tests done at the doctor's office will likely cost more than an at-home pregnancy test.
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Prices vary widely depending on the clinic and where you live. And it's difficult to say how much of the cost would be covered by your insurer if you have health insurance.
Generally speaking, most women don't need a blood pregnancy test. Urine tests are very accurate. And once you're around 7 or 8 weeks pregnant, your provider can use ultrasound to confirm your pregnancy.
In certain cases, however, your healthcare provider may require a blood test, such as if you're at high risk for ectopic pregnancy, or if your provider suspects you're pregnant but can't find the pregnancy on an ultrasound.
Learn more:
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