I had unprotected sex with my boyfriend

 
ANSWER

For reliable results from home pregnancy tests you really need to wait a week after you miss your period.  So if your period was due to start April 5 and it didn’t, taking a test on April 12 will give you an accurate result 99% of the time.

 
Tests taken earlier than that don’t always give a correct reading. That’s because pregnancy tests work by measuring a hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG also called the pregnancy hormone) that only is produced when a woman is pregnant. The tests detect the amount of hCG in your urine, but only when it reaches a certain level.

hCG is produced when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus, which generally occurs about six days after fertilization (your egg and his sperm unite). But,  in up to 10 percent of women, implantation doesn’t happen until  after the first day of the missed period. So, for an accurate reading, wait until a week after you miss your period.

The concern you are going through is a good reminder to never have unprotected sex unless you want to get pregnant. You should also always use condoms for health reasons (protection from sexually transmitted infections) unless you are in a committed monogamous relationship and you’ve both been tested for STIs.

If you do have unprotected sex, and you’re worried about pregnancy, consider the “morning after pill”. It stops you from becoming pregnant if you didn’t use birth control, or if it didn’t work (eg, the condom broke). The pill works for up to 72 hours (three days) after sex. However, it works best if you take it within 12 hours of unprotected sex. In many areas you can get the “morning after pill” over the counter at a pharmacy.

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