What is the Difference Between Urine and Blood Pregnancy Tests?

There are two main types of pregnancy tests. One uses blood, and the other uses urine. While urine tests can be performed on oneself, the blood test has to be done at a doctor’s office.

Urine pregnancy tests are available over the counter in Hong Kong pharmacies. You can take the test from the comfort of your home (or anywhere else with a bathroom). You will get your result within minutes, and the accuracy depends on how well the instructions were followed and the dilution of urine due to water consumption. Most pregnancy tests allow for using urine collected at any time of the day, not only the first stream in the morning. 

A blood pregnancy test has to be taken at a doctor’s office. It is usually done after a missed period to ensure accuracy. You will have to wait for the results to come back from the lab. 

Whichever test is conducted, it detects the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). A woman’s body starts producing hCG at around six days after fertilisation. 

Most healthy women with a positive urine test do not need a blood pregnancy test. If you have received two different urine test results, your doctor may recommend confirming with a blood test.