Homemade pregnancy test

The pregnancy tests available on the market have improved as the technology for diagnostic tests has progressed and they have become simpler and easier to use. Yet we still hear about home DIY tests.

Below are the “recipes” of some do-it-yourself pregnancy tests that we discovered while browsing online. It is not clear where the theories that have supported its diffusion in different parts of the world, not only in our country, originate. Let’s say right away that none of these tests is based on scientific assumptions or has empirically demonstrated its validity and therefore are not reliable.

DIY pregnancy test with salt

The salt pregnancy test is a do-it-yourself pregnancy test that requires two ingredients: salt and urine, which you then mix together in a clear, clean bowl.

You need to combine a spoonful or two of salt with a sample of your morning urine and wait for a few minutes to a few hours.

The theory goes that: if the mixture becomes milky then you are presumably pregnant. If it doesn’t look different, you are not pregnant.

There are no empirical studies showing that the salt pregnancy test works. There is also no theoretical basis for using salt to detect the presence of hCG in urine.

DIY pregnancy test with sugar

The sugar pregnancy test is a DIY pregnancy test that requires two ingredients: sugar and urine, which you then mix together in a clear, clean bowl.

You need to combine a spoonful or two of sugar with a sample of your morning urine and wait a few minutes.

The theory predicts that: if after a few minutes the sugar has accumulated on the bottom you are pregnant. However, if the sugar has dissolved, you are not.

There are no empirical studies showing that the sugar pregnancy test works. There is also no theoretical basis for using sugar to detect the presence of hCG in urine.

DIY pregnancy test with toothpaste

The toothpaste pregnancy test is a do-it-yourself pregnancy test that requires a tube of white toothpaste (the brand doesn’t matter) and your urine.

Fill the bottom of a small cup with a layer of white toothpaste, pour your urine over it and mix it all together.

Keep an eye on the toothpaste to see if it foams or changes color. If it doesn’t foam or turn blue, you’re not pregnant.

The rationale behind the expected foaming is that if there are hCG amino acids in the urine they interact with the calcium carbonate in the toothpaste and produce carbon dioxide. Sadly, even just the uric acid in your urine could cause the same reaction (whether you’re pregnant or not). It is not clear, however, what could be the scientific assumption that explains why toothpaste should change color. Even from an empirical point of view, there are no studies showing that the toothpaste pregnancy test is reliable.

Conclusions

Home pregnancy tests are not reliable and should never be used as an alternative to commercially available urine pregnancy tests .

Katherine Johnson, M.D., is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist with clinical expertise in general obstetrics and gynecology, family planning, women’s health, and gynecology.

She is affiliated with the Obstetrics and Gynecology division at an undisclosed healthcare institution and the online platform, Maternicity.com.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *