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A pregnancy test measures a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). HCG is a hormone produced during pregnancy. It appears in the blood and urine of pregnant women as early as 10 days after conception.
How the Test is Performed
A pregnancy test may be performed using blood or urine. There are two types of blood pregnancy tests:
Qualitative, which measures whether the HCG hormone is present (HCG blood test – qualitative)
Quantitative, which measures how much HCG, is present( HCG blood test – quantitative)

The blood test is done by drawing a single tube of blood and sending it to a laboratory. You may wait anywhere from a few hours to more than a day to get the results.
The urine HCG test is usually performed by placing a drop of urine on a prepared chemical strip. It generally takes 1 to 2 minutes for a result.
How the Test Will Feel
The urine test involves normal urination into a cup. The serum tests involve drawing blood through a needle and into a tube. Any discomfort you might feel from the blood draw will only last a few seconds.
Why the Test is Performed
This test may be done to:
• Determine if you are pregnant
• Diagnose abnormal conditions that can raise HCG levels
• Watch the development of the pregnancy during the first 3 months (quantitative test only)
Normal Results
HCG levels rise rapidly during the first trimester of pregnancy and then slightly decline.
What Abnormal Results Mean
HCG levels should double every 48 hours in the beginning of a pregnancy. HCG levels that do not rise appropriately may indicate a problem with your pregnancy. Some problems associated with an abnormally rising HCG level include miscarriage and ectopic (tubal) pregnancy.
Extremely high levels of HCG may suggest a molar pregnancy or more than one fetus — for example, twins.
Your health care provider will understand the significance of your HCG levels, and he or she should discuss the levels with you.
Considerations
Urine pregnancy tests will only be positive when you have sufficient HCG in your blood. If you are very early in your pregnancy, and the HCG level is below 25-50 mIU/mL, the test will be negative.
If you think you are pregnant, repeat the pregnancy test at home or at your health care provider’s office.
HCG blood test – qualitative

A qualitative HCG blood test checks to see if there is a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin in your blood. HCG is a hormone normally produced during pregnancy.
How the Test is Performed
Blood is typically drawn from a vein, usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The site is cleaned with germ-killing medicine (antiseptic). The health care provider wraps an elastic band around the upper arm to apply pressure to the area and make the vein swell with blood.
Next, the health care provider gently inserts a needle into the vein. The blood collects into an airtight vial or tube attached to the needle. The elastic band is removed from your arm.
Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding.
How to Prepare for the Test
No special preparation is usually necessary.
How the Test Will Feel
When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.
Why the Test is Performed
Most often, this test is performed to determine if you are pregnant or not. The serum HCG level may also be high in women with certain types of ovarian tumors or men with testicular tumors.
Normal Results
• The test is negative if you are not pregnant.
• The test is positive if you are pregnant.
What Abnormal Results Mean
If your serum HCG is positive and you do not have a pregnancy properly implanted in the uterus, it may indicate:
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Miscarriage
• Testicular cancer (in men)
• Trophoblastic tumor
• Hydatidiform mole
• Ovarian cancer
Risks
There is very little risk involved with having your blood taken. Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Taking blood from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include:
• Excessive bleeding
• Fainting or feeling light-headed
• Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
• Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
Considerations
False positive tests may occur when certain hormones are increased, such as after menopause or when taking hormone supplements.
A pregnancy test is considered to be about 98% accurate. When the test is negative but pregnancy is still suspected, the test should be repeated in 1 week.
Alternative Names
Beta-HCG in blood serum – qualitative; Human chorionic gonadotrophin – serum – qualitative; Pregnancy test – blood – qualitative; Serum HCG – qualitative; HCG in blood serum – qualitative
HCG blood test – quantitative

A quantitative human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) test measures the specific level of HCG in the blood. HCG is a hormone produced during pregnancy.
How the Test is Performed
Blood is typically drawn from a vein, usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The site is cleaned with germ-killing medicine (antiseptic). The health care provider wraps an elastic band around the upper arm to apply pressure to the area and make the vein swell with blood.
Next, the health care provider gently inserts a needle into the vein. The blood collects into an airtight vial or tube attached to the needle. The elastic band is removed from your arm.
Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding.
In infants or young children, a sharp tool called a lancet may be used to puncture the skin and make it bleed. The blood collects into a small glass tube called a pipette, or onto a slide or test strip. A bandage may be placed over the area if there is any bleeding.
How to Prepare for the Test
No special preparation is necessary.
How the Test Will Feel
When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.
Why the Test is Performed
HCG appears in the blood and urine of pregnant women as early as 10 days after conception. Quantitative HCG measurements can help to diagnose abnormal preqnancies, such as ectopic pregnancies, molar pregnancies, and those that will miscarry. It is also used as part of a screening test for Down Syndrome.
This test is also done to diagnose abnormal conditions unrelated to pregnancy that can raise HCG levels.
Normal Results
HCG levels rise rapidly during the first trimester of pregnancy and then slightly decline.
What Abnormal Results Mean
Higher-than-normal levels may indicate:
• Choriocarcinoma of the uterus
• Hydatidiform mole of the uterus
• Normal pregnancy
• More than one fetus — for example, twins or triplets
• Ovarian cancer
• Testicular cancer (in men)
Lower-than-normal levels may indicate:
• Fetal death
• Incomplete miscarriage
• Threatened spontaneous abortion
• Ectopic pregnancy
Risks
There is very little risk involved with having your blood taken. Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Taking blood from some people may be more difficult than from others.
Other risks associated with having blood drawn are slight but may include:
• Excessive bleeding
• Fainting or feeling light-headed
• Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
• Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
Considerations
Drugs that can decrease HCG measurements include diuretics and promethazine.
Drugs that can increase HCG measurements include anticonvulsants, anti-parkinsonian drugs, phenothiazine, and promethazine.
Alternative Names
Serial beta HCG; Repeat quantitative beta HCG; Human chorionic gonadotrophin blood test – quantitative; Beta-HCG blood test – quantitative; Pregnancy test – blood – quantitative