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How soon can I have a home pregnacy test and how relible is it?

Most home pregnancy tests (the kind you can buy in drugstores) can detect pregnancy after a missed period, though some can detect it a few days before a missed period. Pregnancy actually doesn’t start the day a couple has intercourse. It can take up to six days after sex for the sperm and egg to join and form a fertilized egg. It then takes another six days for the fertilized egg to implant itself into the lining of the uterus to start a pregnancy.

Pregnancy tests are very accurate. Most home pregnancy tests work 99 out of 100 times if used after a missed period.

If you don’t want to be pregnant and you’ve had unprotected vaginal sex, you can take emergency contraception within five days of unprotected sex to reduce the chance of a pregnancy occurring. Find out more about emergency contraception here.

Tags: pregnancy, pregnancy test

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