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The Facts:
The average
menstrual cycle for women is 28 days. For women who have regular
periods, ovulation (the release of the ovum, or egg, from the ovary)
will occur mid-cycle or about 14 days before the onset of the next
period. If a woman has unprotected intercourse one time during her cycle
(from the start of the period one month to the start of the period the
next month), she has up to a 26% chance of becoming pregnant. However,
if she has intercourse mid-cycle, the risk of becoming pregnant is
highest. The woman's egg may be fertilized as long as 12 to 24 hours
after it leaves the ovary. The man's sperm may be able to fertilize the
egg for up to 100 hours after it enters the vagina. This means that
during the four days surrounding ovulation the woman is at her highest
risk for becoming pregnant.
What is the test?
Pregnancy
testing is often requested if a woman has missed a menstrual period or
has had unprotected intercourse. There are home pregnancy test kits
available over the counter. The home kits are fairly expensive with
complex instructions and require the woman to have missed a period.
The pregnancy
test we use in our clinic (QuickVue) is based on the presence of human
chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the urine. HCG is a hormone produced by
the placenta shortly after implantation. The concentration of HCG in the
urine of a woman who is pregnant begins to rise within a few days of
conception. The symptoms of pregnancy, beginning one to two weeks after
conception, may include breast tenderness, fatigue, nausea and urinary
frequency.
What is involved?
First morning
urine collection is not required, but the urine must be collected in a
sterile container which will be provided by Lamar SHC at the time the
test is requested. Pregnancy testing is performed by a trained medical
professional in the Lamar SHC Laboratory. Tests WILL NOT be performed on
urine brought in from outside Lamar SHC.
A Nurse
Practitioner will provide counseling to include a review of your risks
for pregnancy, whether pregnancy testing is appropriate at this time,
options available if you are pregnant, referrals as necessary, and any
other concerns that you may have that relate to this issue.
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