Sex + Health

How soon can I really know if I'm pregnant?

I'm an OB/GYN, but when I was trying to get pregnant, I was peeing on sticks like I owned stock in them.  Whether you're dying to conceive or completely freaked out by that broken condom, you want to know as soon as possible! So what's the best time to take a pregnancy test?

By the time you would expect your next period, a home pregnancy test should accurately answer your pregnancy question. In other words, if you ovulate on day 14 of your cycle (14 days after the first day of your last period), a home pregnancy test should be positive by day 28. If you are pregnant and you test earlier, such as day 26, the test may be positive already, but I don't recommend this. Many pregnancies are swept away with the next period before a woman ever knows she's pregnant, so if you test early, you may get misleading results.

Blood tests may also be positive slightly earlier, and I know it's an emotional experience when you think you could be pregnant, but truly why rush and risk when you can wait and know? Waiting until the day you would expect your next period to come will give you the most reliable result on a pregnancy test.

Read more Gyn Q &As from Dr. Rankin: Dealing with PMS...

Lissa Rankin is a gynecologist and author. She blogs at owningpink.com, and you can follow her on Twitter at @lissarankin