Human chorionic gonadotropin test

The human chorionic gonadotropin test is used to measure the level of BHCG in the blood and urine. This test is sometimes referred to as a pregnancy test.

What is human chorionic gonadotropin? What are the uses of the human chorionic gonadotropin test?

In the following, our doctors will answer your questions about pregnancy test or BHCG test.

 

What is Human Chorionic Gonadotropin?

This hormone is made by special cells in the human placenta (chorion) and is secreted into the mother’s blood. BHCG plays an important role in the continuation of pregnancy.

 

When is a human chorionic gonadotropin test positive during pregnancy?

BCHG is initially detectable in the blood about eleven days after conception.

BCHG is detected in a pregnant woman’s urine about twelve to fourteen days after conception.

This is the basis of urinalysis -based early detection pregnancy test performance.

 

What are the changes in human chorionic gonadotropin blood level in pregnancy blood test?

The following tips will help you better understand the human chorionic gonadotropin test:

• We said that about eleven days after conception, the level of pregnancy hormone or human gonadotropin (BHCG) begins to increase. As the number of days of pregnancy increases, the blood level of this hormone also rises, it takes about ninety six hours for the BHCG pregnancy hormone to double in blood.
• If the HCG blood level is less than 5mlu / ml, the pregnancy is negative
• If the HCG blood level is higher than 25mlu / ml, pregnancy is positive.
• If the HCG blood level is between 6 and 24mlu / ml (gray area), a repeat of the human chorionic gonadotropin test is required. This test should be repeated so that the number is within the range of pregnancy.
• Pregnancy hormone blood levels may be low despite a healthy pregnancy, therefore the results of an ultrasound in the fifth to sixth week of gestation will be more reliable than the chorionic gonadotropin test.
• We are reminded that often just a positive HCG test is not enough to confirm pregnancy definitively and a repeat test is needed to diagnose pregnancy health.

 

How many types of human chorionic gonadotropin test do we have?

There are two types of HCG blood test:

1. Qualitative test: only reports whether or not HCG is detected in the blood with positive or negative results.
2. Quantitative test: measures the amount of HCG in the blood, reporting the result numerically in milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/mL)

 

What does low blood HCG mean?

We said that it takes about ninety-six hours to double the blood levels of the pregnancy hormone. If you have a HCG test with the amount of x, 72-48 hours after repeating the test, not only the amount of x should not decrease but it should increase. Now, if your blood HCG level is less than x in your test, the following may be the reason for this drop.

• miscarriage
• blighted ovum
• ectopic pregnancy
• Difficulty in calculating and counting pregnancy days

 

What does it mean if the HCG blood level is higher than gestational age?

• multiple pregnancy
• molar pregnancy
• Difficulty in calculating and counting pregnancy days

 

Is it always necessary to repeat the human chorionic gonadotropin test regularly?

No, regular repetition of HCG test is not common for all pregnancies. If you have a problem during pregnancy or show signs and symptoms of a problem, a repeat test is required, for example in the following cases:

• Occurrence of vaginal bleeding in pregnancy
• Severe abdominal and uterine cramps
• Have a history of miscarriage

When a miscarriage occurs, usually within four to six weeks, the qualitative blood HCG test is negative and the quantitative HCG test is less than 5mlu / ml.

Of course, the duration of this time varies in different abortions, this time depends on the following factors:

• The gestational age at which the abortion occurs
• Abortion method
• HCG level at the time of pregnancy loss

 

What does a positive HCG test mean?

There are times when a positive HCG test result indicates that you are pregnant, there are a few cases where a positive HCG test result does not indicate pregnancy.

• Early miscarriage
• Some special cancers
• The presence of certain antibodies
• Taking some medications to treat infertility

 

In what ways can your doctor order a human chorionic gonadotropin test?

In general, your doctor can order a human chorionic gonadotropin test in one of the following ways:

• Bhcg(beta-hcg) blood test
• Quantitative pregnancy blood test
• Quantitative serial beta-hCG test
• Quantitative beta-hCG repeat test

 

For which cases human chorionic gonadotropin test is requested?

For which cases human chorionic gonadotropin test is requested?

• Confirmation of pregnancy
• Diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy
• Diagnosis of possible abortion
• Determining the approximate age of the fetus

 

What cancers cause an increase in the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone?

The following cancers can increase the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone:

• Choriocarcinoma
• Lung cancer
• Some ovarian germ cell carcinoma