Pregnancy Tests

All home pregnancy tests detect the ‘pregnancy hormone’, human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) in urine. In pregnancy, hCG is produced first by the fertilized egg and later the placenta. A fertilized egg typically implants into the lining of the uterus (womb) 6-8 days before the missed period, when tiny amounts of hCG start to appear in the mother’s blood and urine. Though hCG levels are very low at first, the level rises rapidly and predictably in the first weeks of pregnancy⁴.

All Clearblue® pregnancy tests are clinically proven to be over 99% accurate at detecting pregnancy from the day you expect your period¹. However, if you think you might be pregnant, you want to know for sure as soon as possible, and many women want to test earlier than this. The earliest you can test with Clearblue® Early Detection Pregnancy Test is 6 days before your missed period². Read more about testing early and use our handy ‘when to test’ calculator.

Almost three-quarters of women prefer the ease of testing directly in their urine stream⁵. For your convenience, all Clearblue® tests can be used either ‘in-stream’ simply by holding the tip directly in the urine stream for 5 seconds; or by dipping the test into a collected urine sample for between 5 - 20 seconds, depending on the product used. Keep in mind you should always read the instruction leaflet before testing. You can download instruction leaflets for all our pregnancy products here.

After taking a pregnancy test, waiting for your result can be an exciting or nerve-racking time, and you want to be confident you are interpreting it correctly. Studies demonstrate that the type of test you choose can make a big difference on how easy they are to read. Tests like Clearblue® Digital Pregnancy Test with Smart Countdown give clear results in words. Did you know that nearly 1 in 3 women can misread some types of pregnancy test?⁵

All Clearblue® pregnancy tests are designed with women in mind including unique and innovative features to make them easy to use and easy to read, so you can be confident in your result, helping reassure you when you need it most.

There are other tests out there that don’t tick these boxes.

Strips and Cassettes are the most basic types of test. They are often small, and not easy to use as they involve multiple steps, including collecting a sample before testing. When you are excited or anxious (or both), it can be easy to make a mistake – or worry you have made a mistake. And studies have shown that 1 in 3 women can misread these types of tests, making them some of the most difficult types of tests to use and read.⁵

Nearly three-quarters of women prefer to test directly in their urine stream. Studies have shown midstream tests like Clearblue® are convenient, hygienic and easy to use.⁵

With Clearblue® you can also choose to test early – Clearblue® Early Detection Pregnancy Test can tell you 6 days sooner than your missed period.²

Watch our video to see the how to use the test and understand if it is the right one for you.

The urine pregnancy tests your doctor uses contain the same technology as home pregnancy tests. Doctor’s pregnancy tests also detect hCG and are over 99% accurate from the day you expect your period. Just like some home tests, some doctor’s tests can be used before you miss your period.

As home pregnancy tests are so reliable, your doctor may not do a second test to confirm a positive test result, though routine practice varies from country to country. If they do a second urine test, often you will have the result in a few minutes. Alternatively, your doctor may do a blood test, either taking a blood sample (blood draw) from your arm, or just a few drops of blood from a finger prick. If a blood sample is taken, it may be sent away to a laboratory, and results will usually take a few days.