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.


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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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