How Long Does Pregnancy Test Results Take

## How Long Does Pregnancy Test Results Take

When it comes to modern day pregnancy tests, there are two types of tests available: urine or blood. Depending on the type of test being used, the amount of time required to receive results will vary.

**Urine Test**

Urine tests are the most common type of at-home pregnancy test and are available over the counter in drugstores and pharmacies.



When using an at-home pregnancy test, the instructions provided should be carefully followed to ensure accurate results. The average time a woman can expect to wait for test results is 10 minutes.

**Blood Test**

Blood tests for pregnancy are typically administered in a doctor’s office and often require an appointment. Results from a blood test can take a few hours, depending on the lab and the test used.

Common blood tests include:

* Quantitative human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) tests
* Qualitative hCG tests

These types of tests measure the exact amount of hCG, or human Chorionic Gonadotropin, present in the blood. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is a hormone that the body produces once a fertilized egg has implanted in the uterus.

**Factors to Consider**

The results of a blood test are often thought to be more accurate than a urine test. However, because there are other factors that can affect the accuracy of the results, it is important to make sure that you are aware of how the test may be affected by certain things.

The following are some things that can affect the results of the test:

* The amount of time since the woman last had sexual intercourse
* The amount of time since the last menstruation
* The medications a woman is taking

READ
How Soon After Unprotected Can I Test For Pregnancy Calculator

**Bottom Line**

For women hoping to determine their pregnancy status quickly and easily, an at-home urine test is often the best option. Results from a urine test can take 10 minutes or less to return, though it is important to properly follow all instructions for the test in order to ensure accuracy.

If a woman desires more accuracy than an at-home test can provide, then she may want to seek out a blood test performed by a medical professional. In this case, test results can take upwards of a few hours to return in many cases.

No matter which test is chosen, it is important to be mindful of the factors that can affect test results so they can be taken into account and interpreted correctly.



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