A quantitative pregnancy test measures the levels of HCG in blood or urine, providing more information about a pregnancy than a qualitative test. It can be used to check the health of a pregnant woman, monitor recovery after miscarriage, and detect failed or ectopic pregnancies. Unusual results may require further investigation.
A quantitative pregnancy test is a test that checks the levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), associated with pregnancy, in blood or urine. Rather than simply confirming a pregnancy by recording the presence of this hormone, this test can be used to check the health of a pregnant woman. It can be used for women undergoing fertility treatments, women with failed pregnancies and women who have recently had miscarriages. Results with a quantitative pregnancy test can take longer than a simple qualitative test that checks for HCG but does not measure the quantity.
For this test, a doctor may use a urine or blood sample. Some clinics have their own laboratories and can check the sample immediately, while in other cases it may be necessary to send it. The hormone level in the sample is measured and compared with pregnancy information. Typically, this hormone begins to appear within 10 days of conception and levels rise at a steady and very predictable rate.
If a woman tests positive for pregnancy but her HCG levels don’t rise as expected, it may mean there is a problem with the pregnancy. Failed pregnancies are associated with abnormal HCG levels that will result in a quantitative pregnancy test, and likewise with ectopic pregnancies, where the pregnancy implants in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. After women have miscarried, their recovery can be monitored by checking levels of this hormone with a quantitative pregnancy test. Levels should decrease after termination of pregnancy.
Pregnancy tests such as those used at home are qualitative; they look for the hormone and return a positive or negative result depending on whether the hormone is present. Quantitative tests provide more information about a pregnancy. They are usually more expensive to perform because more laboratory work is required, but they can be important in assessing a woman’s health and the embryo she carries during pregnancy. If the results are abnormal, additional medical screening may be recommended to find out why.
Every pregnancy is a little different, and sometimes HCG levels are off on a quantitative pregnancy test in a perfectly healthy pregnancy. Unusual results are grounds for further investigation and possible retesting, not panic. Women should be aware that doctors will usually avoid speculating about abnormal test results until they have an opportunity to learn more about them, as they don’t want to worry their patients.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
