Home pregnancy tests can be valuable tools if you want to determine whether you are pregnant. Instead of waiting to get in to see your doctor, you can stop at any drug store, and many grocery stores, and pick up a test. Within minutes of following the directions, you may have the answer for which you have been waiting.

If you are trying to get pregnant or suspect that you might be pregnant, finding out for sure is a top priority. Many home pregnancy tests claim to provide accurate results the earliest, but which of these really lives up to its claim? Learn how home pregnancy tests work, and find out which of these popular brands is most reliable and which ones should be avoided.

Those days between ovulation and your period can be scary. The waiting and wondering may feel almost debilitating. Whether you are trying to conceive or you are trying to avoid it, the slightest symptom of pregnancy might haunt you day and night. Only one thing can put you at ease--a pregnancy test.

Pregnancy tests measure levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Since hCG is produced by the placenta, it is only present in pregnant women. The anticipation of being pregnant makes it difficult for some women to wait until a missed period to take a pregnancy test. If you are one of these women, several pregnancy tests are marketed as being able to detect a pregnancy before a missed period. Although having this option may be a blessing, it may also add to your anxiety, depending on the results.

For many women, having a pregnancy test produce a negative result answers the question and allows them to move forward with the knowledge that for the moment, they are not expecting a child. There are times, however, when your pregnancy test comes up negative, but you still have pregnancy symptoms. Several factors can produce a negative result even though you have symptoms of pregnancy.

Available over-the-counter at drugstores, home pregnancy tests are cheap, easy, quick tests that tell you whether or not you are pregnant by detecting the presence of the pregnancy hormone, hCG, in your urine. You should always check with your doctor if you get a positive result on a home pregnancy test. Your doctor can confirm whether or not you are pregnant with a blood test and/or a pelvic exam, and start you on a course of prenatal care to assure a healthy pregnancy. Even a negative result on a home pregnancy test is a heads-up to call your doctor to look for possible medical reasons for your missed period(s).

Not all home pregnancy tests have the same level of sensitivity to hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), the pregnancy hormone, so some will show a positive result early in a woman's pregnancy, and some won't register positive until up to a week after a missed period. What the majority of tests do have in common is that positive results doesn't always last long enough to show off to friends and relatives. That doesn't mean you're not pregnant, just that the type of test you took is subject to a time limit for reading the results.