Pregnancy Test
Description of Pregnancy Test:
A pregnancy test attempts to determine whether or not a woman is pregnant.
Records of attempts at pregnancy testing have been found as far back as the
ancient Greek and ancient Egyptian cultures. Modern pregnancy tests look for
chemical markers associated with pregnancy. These markers are found in urine and
blood, and pregnancy tests require sampling one of these substances. The first
of these markers to be discovered, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), was
discovered in 1930 to be produced by the placenta. While hCG is a reliable
marker of pregnancy, it cannot be detected until after implantation: this
results in false negatives if the test is performed during the very early stages
of pregnancy. Obstetric ultrasonography may also be used to detect pregnancy.
Obstetric ultrasonography was first practiced in the 1960s; the first home test
kit for hCG was released in the mid-1970s.
Specific Pregnancy Test Information
Articles, questions and answers.
