How long after intercourse can a pregnancy test be taken with an early pregnancy test?

Patient's question:

No

Doctor's answer:

First, it's important to clarify some questions when testing for pregnancy. Ovulation occurs around the 14th day of the menstrual cycle. Assuming fertilization is successful at this time, it takes 6 to 7 days for the fertilized egg to produce HCG. Pregnancy tests detect HCG in urine. However, HCG actually starts to be secreted in large quantities only after the embryo implants and the syncytiotrophoblast begins to secrete it in large amounts.