Review of prices for pregnancy tests. Should you overpay?

Modern women who are looking for an optimal pregnancy test may face great difficulties - the choice of such products is great, there are different modifications, and prices differ tenfold. How and what makes up the cost of test diagnostic systems, which ones are more expensive, and whether you need to overpay, this article will tell.

Varieties and cost

There are several generations of tests. The newer the device for self-diagnosis of pregnancy at home, the more expensive it is.

First generation

The most cost effective is the first generation device. This should include strip strips.... The choice of these simplest test fixtures is very diverse. There are strips at a price of 17-25 rubles apiece. These include tests "Faith", "Eve" and a number of others. There are more expensive strips - up to 75 rubles apiece and slightly more expensive. These products are mainly represented by world famous brands such as Frautest, Evitest.

The advantages of the first generation test systems are that they are easy to use and affordable products. There is nothing complicated in them: you take out a strip, dip it into the collected urine, and after the allotted time evaluate the result. One strip - there is no pregnancy, two strips - there is a pregnancy.

The disadvantages are that the strips, according to reviews, are often mistaken, give false results, often show dubious results, which can be difficult for a woman to interpret correctly right away. Such tests require preliminary fuss and preparation - urine must be collected, otherwise you will not be able to diagnose.

All first generation tests are disposable. The strip must be disposed of after use. If you need to repeat the test, you will have to use a new one.

Second generation

Second generation test systems include tablet or cassette pregnancy tests. They represent a plastic case, inside of which is hidden a strip with a reagent wider than the strip version. The cost of this design is higher than the cost of conventional strips. This is understandable - their production is somewhat more expensive in terms of cost. On average, the price for a tablet modification is in the range of 200 rubles.

The advantages of such products are that they are convenient to use, they are more hygienic and are considered more accurate than ordinary strips... The design itself contributes to the accuracy - the strip is well protected from external influences.

The downside is that urine needs to be collected again. Of course, many manufacturers have made sure that the urine collection cup is included, but no one cancels the procedure itself. Urine after collection with a special pipette, which is also included in the kit, applied in the amount of a few drops into a special window on the body, and after the allotted time the result is evaluated.

Plate or cassette tests are also disposable and are not intended to be reused.

Third generation

These are inkjet devices. They do not need to collect urine, bury it somewhere or lower it. It is enough just to bring the tip of the case under the stream of urine while urinating, and after 3-5 minutes the result will appear in a special window. The cost starts from 250 rubles and more.

Pros - diagnostics does not require much time, it can be carried out, in general, away from home, where it is convenient for the woman herself, for example, in the toilet at work or at university. The test is hygienic and the diagnosis is very simple. Inkjet tests almost never give dubious results, and therefore today they are considered the most accurate.

Cons - the price is too big for such a product, especially considering that the diagnostic system is also disposable and cannot be reused.

Fourth generation

This is a one-of-a-kind electronic digital test Clearblue digital. It acts like an inkjet, and therefore the testing procedure itself is very simple and straightforward. The device does not show any second stripes, it writes in words - "Pregnant" or "Not pregnant." And also a device is produced that shows the gestational age in weeks. This is the most expensive test system in existence today. The price starts from 390 rubles.

The plus is that the product is reusable, the set includes 2 dozen tips, one for each test.

The disadvantages are the high cost of the test system with an indication of the term At the same time, with the term of pregnancy, the test is often mistaken, because it defines it rather conditionally, approximately.

What common?

It may seem strange, but all tests, regardless of the specific name, are very similar. They have the same principle of operation. The bottom line is that a special chemical reagent applied by manufacturers to a device for self-diagnosis determines in the urine the molecules of a special hormone, which is called chorionic. HCG is actively produced after the embryo is attached to the uterine cavity, that is, it is implanted into the endometrium.

This usually happens a week after actual conception. And after that, the chorionic villi produce the necessary hormone so that the corpus luteum on the ovary continues to function, producing progesterone. Progesterone will ensure early pregnancy. By the end of the first trimester, the formed placenta will take over the hormonal function.

The hCG level rises gradually. First in the blood, and then in the urine. Every two days, the quantitative indicator of the hormone approximately doubles from the initial level. It is its presence in the fluid secreted by the kidneys that is able to capture the reagent, to which antibodies to the chorionic gonadotropic hormone are added.

If such a reaction occurs when exposed to urine, then a test device of any design gives a positive result. If there is no reaction, then the test result will be negative.

From this point of view there is no difference between expensive tests from famous brands and global manufacturers and cheap strips with unknown names.

What are the differences?

The only difference between the tests is their sensitivity. Manufacturers use different reagents, there are some differences in the production technology itself, and therefore some devices can catch the hormone in the urine at the earliest possible date, while others need more time to recognize the presence of active substance molecules in urine.

Ultrasensitivity tests are suitable for the earliest diagnosis. They are able to determine hCG in an amount from 5-7 to 15 mIU / ml. This amount is usually already reached. 2-3 days before the start of the delay of the next menstruation... And therefore, for women who certainly consider it necessary to find out whether conception has taken place, even before the delay, it is ultrasensitive tests that are the preferred choice.

Most of the diagnostic devices, including the "luxury" options, have a sensitivity of 25 mIU / ml, and their use is reasonable only after the onset of a delay in menstruation.

It is noteworthy that the sensitivity characteristic in itself does not in any way leave an imprint on the price category... There are high-sensitivity models in the line of cheap test systems, there are high-sensitivity tests in expensive brands. To a greater extent, the price does not depend on sensitivity, as some think, but on other factors.

The main pricing factor for this product category is the name. If a brand is widely known, then its product will be more expensive than the product of little-known manufacturers. Design and modification are in second place. For example, Frautest inkjet models and Clearblue systems of similar action differ significantly in price, and only because Clearblue pays more attention to case design, holder, packaging.

How many products are required?

To understand which products of which price category are right for you, you need to clearly understand how many of them you may need. If a woman starts testing a few days before the start of the delay of the next menstruation, it is important for her to observe the dynamics, that is, it may take up to 7-9 tests, and then too expensive systems can literally ruin the family budget.

If the delay has already begun, then you should not purchase a large number of diagnostic systems, just one of the most inexpensive stripes may be enough to establish the fact of pregnancy.

After a delay in women, a large amount of chorionic hormone is present in urine, and strips of any sensitivity will be able to detect the presence of substance molecules.
There are excellent options that are quite affordable for women of any income - the so-called double tests. These are two identical simple strips in one package. One is diagnosed, the second - if necessary, it is confirmed or refuted. Doubles are always more cost effective than buying two separate strips.

What to consider when choosing?

Since there is no significant difference in principle of operation between expensive and inexpensive test systems, when choosing, you should pay attention not even to the price, but certain details that will facilitate your diagnosis and help you get the most accurate results.

Before the delay, it is better to choose inexpensive strip-strips, of which you can buy about a dozen for three hundred rubles. Many women prefer strips from different manufacturers. And there is some common sense in this, since the strips of one batch may be defective. The main requirement is a high sensitivity threshold of the test system. Please note that the packaging or instructions should indicate that the test has a sensitivity of 5.5 to 15 mIU / ml.
After the start of the delay, select any sensitivity. She no longer plays a significant role. A large amount is not required.

Be sure to estimate the expiration date. This is important, because the chemical reagent may lose its properties after the allotted period. And also determine how important usability is to you.

If there is no need to do a test in the toilet at work, you can safely take a strip, cassette version. If it is assumed that the test will be done on the run, not in the home toilet, then it is better to opt for models that do not require urine collection - jet or digital reusable.

Should you choose expensive ones?

It is difficult to unequivocally answer the question of whether it is worth overpaying for expensive tests. This is not to say that they differ too much from cheap accuracy. It is in all tests, according to experts, at the level of 95%. The 99% promised to the consumer is nothing more than a marketing ploy, only one type of diagnosis has such accuracy - a blood test for hCG, but this analysis is carried out exclusively in medical centers and clinics in a laboratory condition by qualified specialists.

Expensive tests are more of a fashion statement. If you want to present the test to your spouse or partner in a beautiful box with a bow in order to celebrate in a special way the onset of an event that is important for both of you, then you should think about making the test look beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. A beautiful case, clarity of results, design are important here. This test will stay with you for a long memory.

If this does not play an essential role, and all that a woman wants is to establish whether she is pregnant or not, then the most inexpensive strip strip is also suitable, the price of which is ten times less than the cost of an expensive test.

The reusable digital test is an excellent solution for a couple who are undergoing fertility treatment and have been trying to conceive a baby for a long time. If you calculate how much money such a woman spends on buying different tests every month, then it would be much more profitable to take one reusable one and conduct up to twenty examinations with it.

Precisely because a test system is a very individual thing, there are no universal advice on choosing. It all depends on personal preference. Some make their choice based on online reviews.