What is a hCG lab test?
A quantitative human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) test measures the specific level of HCG in the blood. HCG is a hormone produced in the body during pregnancy. Other HCG tests include: HCG urine test.
When should hCG blood test be done?
hCG is produced during pregnancy and found in the blood and urine. Testing for hCG can be used as soon as 10 days after conception to help determine if a person is pregnant.
What if the hCG test is positive?
If you have a positive result, it means that the test detected hCG in your urine. Your next step should be to consult your doctor. They can confirm pregnancy with an exam and additional testing, if necessary.
Can you have high hCG levels and not be pregnant?
An elevated β-hCG in the absence of viable pregnancy can occur for multiple reasons and has a broad differential diagnosis including miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, pituitary hCG production, trophoblastic disease and phantom hCG.
Can your body produce hCG without being pregnant?
HCG is produced in very minimal quantities in non-pregnant women and men and does not appear to play an appreciable role in body functions. Higher-than-normal levels of hCG may also be present in certain types of cancers in males and non-pregnant females.
What hCG level indicates miscarriage?
Likewise, levels that aren’t doubling and are only rising very slowly — for example, from 120 mIU/mL to 130 mIU/mL over a period of two days — can indicate a nonviable uterine pregnancy in which a miscarriage may take place soon.
What tests are done at 12 weeks pregnant?
An ultrasound is done between 11 weeks to 13 weeks 6 days of pregnancy, ideally at 12 to 13 weeks. The ultrasound allows the thickness of fluid in an area behind the baby’s neck to be measured. This area, known as nuchal translucency, is often larger in babies with Down syndrome.
What were your hCG levels with ectopic?
Absence of an intrauterine gestational sac on abdominal ultrasound in conjunction with a β-hCG level of greater than 6,500 mIU per mL suggests the presence of an ectopic pregnancy.