If you recently had unprotected (or even protected) sex and your period is late, you could be pregnant. Of course, there are other reasons your period could be late too. Maybe it’s time to take a pregnancy test. Life Choices offers free and confidential pregnancy tests.
How a pregnancy test works
Our pregnancy tests are lab-quality urine tests with a 99% accuracy rate. They detect the levels of the pregnancy hormone known as hCG in your urine. When a woman is pregnant, her body begins producing hCG once a fertilized egg attaches to the uterine lining. A positive pregnancy test means hCG has been found.
Other pregnancy symptoms
There are other ways to determine if you might be pregnant. These are common early signs of pregnancy, although there are other medical conditions that can cause the same symptoms:
- A missed period
- Nausea (morning sickness)
- Tender or swollen breasts
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Mood swings
- Food aversions or cravings
You may not be pregnant
Believe it or not, it’s possible to have some of these symptoms and not be pregnant. Hormonal changes, stress, or rapid weight gain or loss are just some of the reasons for a change in your normal menstrual cycle. Irregular periods could be a sign of polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal disorder. If you’re a dancer, gymnast, or runner, a change in your cycle could be due to high levels of physical activity.
It is also reported that up to 20% of known pregnancies end in a natural miscarriage. Many miscarriages occur in the early weeks of pregnancy, but your body may still experience pregnancy symptoms days and even weeks afterward. As a result, you can get a false-positive result on a pregnancy test. The only way to know if you’re definitely pregnant is by getting an ultrasound. Life Choices offers free and confidential ultrasound scanning.
Get a pre-abortion screening
If you’re considering abortion for your unexpected pregnancy, it’s important to find out the status of your pregnancy and how far along you are. Obviously, if you’ve had a miscarriage, you wouldn’t need to schedule an appointment with an abortion provider. A pre-abortion screening begins with a free pregnancy test. If the test is positive, you will want to get a free ultrasound scan.
At-home pregnancy tests are reliable, but you want to make sure you’ve taken them correctly. Sometimes women take the tests too early before hCG levels are high enough to detect; they don’t follow the directions carefully, or they don’t check the expiration date.
If your pregnancy test is positive
You have more than one choice for your unplanned pregnancy. Come to Life Choices for your free pregnancy test. What do you have to lose? It’s free!
If it’s positive, we’ll schedule you for free ultrasound scanning to see if you have miscarried and find out how long you’ve been pregnant.
We want to help you as you move forward in your journey. You don’t have to do this alone. Schedule your appointment today.