Patient's question:
On the 8th morning after having sex with my boyfriend, I used a pregnancy test, and it showed one line. Can I be sure I'm not pregnant? Also, what are the side effects of taking emergency contraception? Will it cause stomach pain? Feeling weak in my limbs, like symptoms before my period, occurred within 5 days after taking the pill. What could be the reason for this? Thank you.Doctor's answer:
The early pregnancy test strip method is the simplest and most convenient way to determine if pregnancy has occurred. Its mechanism involves a qualitative detection of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in urine. Apply a drop of urine to the test window on the strip. If a colored band appears in the control region of the strip (some strips show red, while others show blue), it indicates a negative result. Conversely, if a distinct colored band appears in the test region, it indicates a positive result, suggesting pregnancy. HCG generally appears in the urine several days after the fertilized egg implants and must reach a certain concentration to be detectable. Therefore, for women with regular menstrual cycles, HCG may not be detectable in the urine until after a delayed period. For women with long menstrual cycles or irregular ovulation, HCG may not be detectable until 40–44 days after their last period. In other words, at least 10 days of delayed menstruation are needed to confirm pregnancy.