Are quantitative blood tests diffrent from the blood test that checks hcg levels or is it the same thing?

Question

I want to know what to ask for when i go so I can make sure Im not pregnant and have no surprises later.

Answer 1

There are two types of blood tests for pregnancy-quantitive and qualitive.

A qualitive test gives a  yes/no answer.  Most labs consider a level of HCG at or above 20 miU/mL to be positive and anything below to be a negative.  A nonpregnant person should have an HCG level of 0, but 20 is the standard cutoff level for a qualitive test.  Because of this, you CAN get a negative on a blood test and still be pregnant, if you are early and your levels are still low.

A quantitive test gives you a number, from which you/your doctor can then determine pregnancy.  As I said above, a nonpregnant woman should have an HCG level of 0.  If your quantitive test came back with an HCG level of 19 miU/mL you would be pregnant, but you would have gotten a negative on the qualitive test.

Consult your doctor about which test is best for you.  Qualitive tests offer quicker results and are less expensive.  Quantitive tests take a bit longer and cost more.  Just something else to consider.

I wish you the best!

EDITED TO ADD: Even with a blood test, you still have to be at a certain point in  your cycle for results to be accurate.  You could get a negative today, but find out you are four weeks pregnant two weeks from now (because ovulation is occuring now and conception is possible).