When you are pregnant, your body produces a hormone called HCG. But, what is HCG and how is it tested? Keep reading to find out.
HCG is a hormone in the body that stands for human chorionic gonadotropin. This hormone is produced only during pregnancy and won’t be found in the body otherwise.
HCG is detectable in two ways, a blood test, and a urine test. When you buy an over-the-counter at-home pregnancy test, it is a urine test that will check your HCG levels.
Most over-the-counter pregnancy tests can detect HCG at levels high enough that you’ll see it around the time of a missed period or a couple of days after. This can carry depending on the test you use.
Another option to detect if HCG is present earlier than a missed period is a blood test.
In a normal pregnancy, HCG levels rise very quickly, doubling every 48 to 72 hours. If you or your doctor are concerned about your pregnancy, you can do a blood test for HCG every two to three days to check if the levels are rising normally.
To learn more, watch the video above!
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