Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Review: Cheap pregnancy test - worth it?



Price:
£4.48 for 25 tests, £14.19 for 100 tests ( correct as at 11th May2010). 
Free super saver delivery ( mine arrived in 2 days)

Quality:
CE marked and FDA cleared.  10mIU/ml sensitivity

Ease of use:
The instructions are clearly written with a diagram to show the how the test results should look like.





Main advantages:
  1. Cheap! Less than 20pence per test, that works out to 5% of the cost of a typical test (around £6)
  2. Sensitive (can detect early pregnancy), since it is at 10mIU/ml level, which is comparable and even more sensitive than most top brands. There are more information about sensitivity of pregnancy tests here: http://www.fertilityplus.org/faq/hpt.html#faq
  3. Small,discrete individual package (12 x 6cm). Can keep in my bag, just in case I want to have sushi for dinner.
  4. Discrete, fast delivery from Amazon.
  5. Collecting urine in a small cup is easier than imagined after 1-2 tries.

Main disadvantages:

  1. Short strips, about 6-7cm, and you should only expose the area of about 2 cm to urine. This makes it quite challenging "aiming". If you expose the area above the "Mark line" (see diagram), you may void the test. The easiest is to collect a small amount into a small clean disposable cup, and "dunk" the strip there. This is easy after 1-2 tries.
  2. If you carry the test in your bag, be careful not  to fold the strips. 
  3. Addictive. Because it is so easy and cheap, you might want to do it even before another ibuprofen for your headache.

Will I use/buy it again?
Yes! If testing is so cheap, I see no reason not too test.


It spares me from having to avoid "risky" behaviours such as having a glass of champagne or having a spa session which involves soaking in a jacuzzi or a nice meal of sushi. 


I was put off by the urine collection step, but learned how to do it easily after 1-2 tries. Very easy.  Worth the trouble for a fraction of the usual price.


I am going to buy the ovulation test kit next. 

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