Is 3 days to early for pregnancy test

If you have missed a period and recently had unprotected sex, you may be pregnant. Pregnancy tests are most reliable from the first day of your missed period.

When you can do a pregnancy test

You can carry out most pregnancy tests from the first day of a missed period. If you don't know when your next period is due, do the test at least 21 days after you last had unprotected sex.

Some very sensitive pregnancy tests can be used even before you miss a period.

You can do a pregnancy test on a sample of urine collected at any time of the day. It doesn't have to be in the morning.

Where you can get a pregnancy test

You can buy pregnancy testing kits from pharmacists and some supermarkets. They can give a quick result and you can do the test in private.

The following places provide free pregnancy tests:

  • sexual health services
  • some young people's services – call the national sexual health helpline on 0300 123 7123 for details
  • Brook centres for under-25s – find your nearest Brook centre

You may also be able to get a pregnancy test free of charge from your GP.

How does a pregnancy test work?

All pregnancy tests detect the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), which starts to be produced around 6 days after fertilisation.

Most pregnancy tests come in a box that contains 1 or 2 long sticks. You pee on the stick and the result appears on the stick after a few minutes. All tests are slightly different, so always check the instructions.

Will a pregnancy test work if I'm on the pill?

Yes.

Some methods of contraception, such as the contraceptive pill, contain hormones, but these hormones will not stop a pregnancy test working.

No method of contraception is completely effective, so it's important to take a pregnancy test if you think you might be pregnant.

Pregnancy test results

Home pregnancy tests are accurate as long as you follow the instructions correctly.

A positive test result is almost certainly correct. However, a negative test result is less reliable.

The result may not be reliable if you:

  • do not follow the instructions properly
  • take the test too early

Some medicines can also affect the results.

If you get a negative result and still think you're pregnant, wait a few days and try again. Speak to your GP if you get a negative result after a second test but your period has not arrived.

Continuing with the pregnancy

If you're pregnant and want to continue with the pregnancy, contact your GP or a midwife to start your antenatal care. You can use the pregnancy due date calculator to work out when your baby is due.

If you're not sure you want to be pregnant

If you're not sure about continuing with the pregnancy, you can discuss this confidentially with a healthcare professional. Your options are:

  • continuing with the pregnancy and keeping the baby
  • having an abortion
  • continuing with the pregnancy and having the baby adopted

As well as a GP or a nurse at your GP surgery, you can also get accurate, confidential information – from the age of 13 – from the following:

  • sexual health services
  • the MSI Reproductive Choices website
  • the British Pregnancy Advisory service website
  • the National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory service website

All these services – including community contraceptive clinics – are confidential. If you're 13 or older, the staff won't tell your parents. They'll encourage you to talk to your parents, but they won't force you. 

If you're 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.

Video: Is the pregnancy test accurate?

In this video, a midwife explains when you can take a pregnancy test and how to do it properly.

Media last reviewed: 5 February 2020
Media review due: 5 February 2023

How soon can you take a pregnancy test after sex?

Although you might be eager to take a pregnancy test as soon as possible, it’s best to wait until your period is a week late to get the most accurate result. If you can’t wait until your period, let at least one to two weeks pass after you have sex before taking a pregnancy test. 

It’s important to wait, because your body needs to develop enough of the pregnancy hormone hCG that a pregnancy test can detect it. In most cases, home pregnancy tests can detect levels of hCG around 10 days after successful implantation of an egg (which doesn’t happen immediately after sex). If you take the test too early, you might get a negative result (even if you are pregnant). 

When is the best time to take a pregnancy test: morning or night?

If you want to know how early you can take a pregnancy test, you might also wonder when the best time to take a pregnancy test is. Is it best to take it in the morning or at night? To get an accurate result, most experts recommend taking a pregnancy test in the morning. Why? While you’re sleeping, hCG becomes more concentrated in your urine. Unless you wake up in the middle of the night to pee, first thing in the morning is the best time for early detection of pregnancy. 

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This doesn’t mean you can’t take a pregnancy test later in the day. It just means that you’re more likely to get a false-negative, especially if you’ve been drinking a lot of water. It’s easy to forget in the morning, so it might be helpful to leave yourself a note the night before. You can close the lid of the toilet and leave a note there to remind yourself. 

What if you have an unconventional sleep schedule and can’t test your urine first thing in the morning? You can increase the level of hCG in your urine by not using the bathroom for at least four hours. 

Before taking a pregnancy test, don’t drink more water than you normally would. Drinking a lot of water can dilute your urine and affect the result of your test. 

If you got a negative result but still think you might be pregnant, take the test again after several days. False positives and false negatives are rare, but they do happen. Repeating a test can also be a good idea.

Is 3 days to early for pregnancy test

When is it too early to take a pregnancy test?

Taking a pregnancy test sooner than eight days past your ovulation (DPO) might result in a false negative. This is because fertilized eggs don’t start producing the pregnancy hormone that tests detect — hCG — until after implantation is complete.

About 85 percent of the time, implantation occurs 6–10 days after ovulation. After implantation, your hCG levels will start doubling every 48 hours — you can use our online hCG calculator to track your hCG levels at home. At this point, pregnancy tests will be able to measure your hCG levels, ensuring a positive result if you’re pregnant. 

When to take a blood pregnancy test

Maybe you’ve taken a home pregnancy test, but now your health care provider is suggesting you take a blood test. What exactly is and when should you take a blood pregnancy test? 

Home pregnancy tests measure the levels of hCG in your urine. A blood pregnancy test measures the hCG levels in your blood. Health care providers suggest taking a blood test because they’re more sensitive and can offer more information than a home urine test. 

The best time to take a blood pregnancy test is if your period is several days late. If your home pregnancy tests are negative, but you’re experiencing all the symptoms of pregnancy, it’s a good idea to take a blood test. 

The most accurate blood tests are quantitative blood pregnancy tests, because they determine the exact amount of hCG in your blood. This is important because it can tell your health care provider if you’re pregnant or if you need to do another test in a few days.

Health care providers also recommend blood tests if you’ve experienced an ectopic pregnancy or a miscarriage in the past. This ensures your health care provider will be able to observe your hCG levels more closely in the first weeks of your pregnancy. 

You might wonder when to take a pregnancy test to get accurate results. Whether you’re hoping for a positive or a negative, taking a test the week after your missed period is probably the best way to find out. If you’re in a hurry, you can try taking a test at least one to two weeks after sex, but the results may not be as accurate. 

For best results, take the pregnancy test in the morning. First-morning urine exhibits the highest concentration of hCG. Taking your pregnancy test sooner than eight days past ovulation might result in a false negative. Blood tests are more sensitive and can offer more information than a home urine test.

Is 3 days early pregnancy test accurate?

(For example, the Clearblue Early Detection Pregnancy Test claims more than 99 percent accuracy if you test the day of your expected period or one, two or three days before; 96 percent accuracy four days before; and 79 percent five days before.

Would a pregnancy test work at 3 days?

"Early results" pregnancy tests promise results as soon as three to six days before your missed period. These tests are more sensitive than standard tests, but getting accurate results that early is more difficult simply because ovulation and implantation times can vary.

Is 3 days before my period too early to take a pregnancy test?

Early Detection The most sensitive tests on the market can potentially give you a positive result four to five days before your period is due, meaning you don't necessarily have to wait for a missed period, or watch for other pregnancy symptoms, to find out whether you are pregnant.