An Essential Hormone During Pregnancy
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, or hCG for short, is a hormone produced by the fertilised embryo and, later, the placenta. Its presence is measured by home pregnancy tests to determine pregnancy. It is thought to be linked to the severity of morning sickness in pregnant women, as well as immune system quality, and it's medically recognized as a tumor marker. Its structure is similar to that of the luteinizing hormone (LH), another important hormone during pregnancy, and either hormone can be used to stimulate ovulation in subfertile and infertile women as well as testosterone production in men.
Home pregnancy tests measure the amount or presence of hCG in urine. Blood tests performed by a doctor can detect 1mlU/mL of hCG in blood, whereas home pregnancy tests are rarely able to detect less than 20mlU/mL. Women who are using hCG as a fertility enhancement drug under doctor's orders will test positive on home pregnancy tests, regardless of actual pregnancy, and should switch to a different fertility drug such as clomiphene if they wish to use home pregnancy tests.
How it Works
HCG encourages the progesterone supply within the uterus, helping to build and then maintain the endometrial lining of intra-uterine walls. This is why it's so easy for home pregnancy tests to measure. Only rarely is hCG found in the system of someone who is not pregnant. It acts as a 'shield' for the growing infant against the mother's own immune system, and doctors theorize the chemical and hormonal interactions created by hCG may be responsible for the severity of morning sickness in some pregnant women.
In women who are not pregnant, hCG may be injected as a stimulant to the ovaries. It can also be used as a fertility supplement for men. HCG used in this manner is often harvested from the urine of pregnant women, although at least one manufacturer of hCG-based fertility drugs has created their supply using recombinant DNA.
When Home Pregnancy Tests are Wrong
There's no such thing as 100% accurate home pregnancy tests. Errors in use, expired tests, and 'evaporation lines' can all contribute to a false positive, while false negatives can result from testing too soon after conception (before hCG levels are detectable) or testing too late in the day, when hCG levels are diluted. Home pregnancy tests are an imprecise science and companies are still creating more and better versions every day.
If you've gotten a false result on home pregnancy tests, you should consult with your doctor. Whether home pregnancy tests believed you were or weren't pregnant, your doctor can confirm either way; and if you aren't pregnant but you do have elevated hCG levels, then they may want to run additional tests to create a formal diagnosis.
remove
