Pregnancy Testing & Confirmation

The pregnancy test is done at the clinic, walk-in, and the result is given and explained in the same visit.

How does the test work?

It detects the hormone hCG, which appears after implantation. It can be done in urine or blood. The blood test detects lower levels and works earlier; the urine test is faster and is enough in most cases.

When is it reliable?

From the first day of a missed period, the urine test is reliable for most women. Before that it can come back negative even when there is a pregnancy, because the hormone is still low. If the period does not arrive and the test was negative, it is worth repeating in a few days or doing the blood test.

The first urine of the morning is the most concentrated, and therefore the most reliable for a urine test.

What if it is positive?

In the same visit it is confirmed, gestational age is calculated from the date of your last period, and the next steps are explained: which tests are due, which vitamins to start and which signs to watch for. If the gestational sac needs to be seen or the weeks pinned down, an ultrasound is done.

What if it is negative but the period still has not come?

A missed period can have many causes besides pregnancy: stress, weight changes, thyroid, polycystic ovary syndrome or the birth control method itself. If it repeats, a gynecology visit looks for the cause, and sometimes a thyroid panel is included.

Signs that cannot wait

With a positive test, go to the emergency room if severe one-sided abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, dizziness or fainting appear. It could be an ectopic pregnancy, which is an emergency.

Walk-in and no insurance

Monday through Sunday, 9 AM to 9 PM, with care in Spanish and no insurance needed.