[h3]When can hCG be detected?[/h3]
The earliest time a hCG test will detect a pregnancy is about 8 days after conception or about 1 week before the next period is due. However, this is only possible for about 5% of women. Most women will show a positive hCG level by about 11 to 12 days after conception or a couple of days before the next period would have been due.
By day 28 (first day of missed menses) the hCG level in serum, plasma or urine is about 100 mIU/ml. This should be detectable by all pregnancy tests. There is a very big variation in individual hCG concentrations. At this time, the extremes of normal levels are approximately 5 to 450 mIU/ml in serum or plasma samples. Some pregnant women at this time will have a low level hCG and will not register on HPTs by the time they are a few days late for their period.
hCG can also be produced by early pregnancy loss (EPL) or pregnancies that fail to start or properly implant. hCG from these pregnancies can also be detected at this time
Women who have hCG injections for fertility treatments can have hCG in their system for 2 to 3 weeks after the injection. This means they may obtain an early 'positive' pregnancy test, yet not be pregnant.
More details on this site:
http://www.baby2see.com/preconception/hcg.html
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