Where can I get a pregnancy test?
Your neighborhood pharmacy, drugstore, grocery store, and some convenience or dollar stores all sell pregnancy tests. Pregnancy tests are typically inexpensive; they may only cost $1. Some medical facilities occasionally offer free pregnancy tests.
Additionally, you can obtain a pregnancy test from your physician or nurse, a local clinic, or a Planned Parenthood Health Center. The majority of medical facilities employ the same urine pregnancy tests that are sold in shops. Blood tests are occasionally used to detect pregnancy, but they are typically only used in very specific situations.
However, be cautious when seeking a reputable medical facility because there are phony clinics referred to as Crisis Pregnancy Centers out there. Crisis Pregnancy Centers offer free pregnancy tests and advertise that they can provide advice and assistance. However, they may not be run by medical professionals and do not adhere to the principle of providing you with all of your options and the truth regarding pregnancy. Crisis pregnancy centers frequently share names with Planned Parenthood health centers or other legitimate medical facilities; they do this to deceive people into visiting them instead.
You can get assistance from your nearby Planned Parenthood health center in locating a secure location to take a pregnancy test.
If you’re not sure you want to be pregnant
You can speak in confidence with a healthcare professional if you’re unsure about continuing the pregnancy. Your options are:
You can get precise, private information, starting at age 13, from the following sources in addition to your doctor or the nurse at your doctor’s office:
All of these services, including those provided by community clinics for contraception, are private. Staff members will not inform your parents if you are 13 or older. Although they’ll nudge you, they won’t force you to talk to your parents.
If youre under 25 and would prefer advice specifically for young people, the sexual health charity Brook provides a range of services for young people. The Brook website contains information on pregnancy choices. You can also use the Ask Brook 24/7 service.
How does a pregnancy test work?
Human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), which begins to be produced about six days after fertilization, is the hormone that is detected by all pregnancy tests.
The majority of pregnancy tests come in a box with one or two long sticks. After a few minutes, the result of your pee on the stick becomes visible. All tests are slightly different, so always check the instructions.