The HCG pregnancy test is a commonly used detection method. It has many advantages, such as simple operation, high sensitivity, and diverse uses. However, it also has some disadvantages, such as the results being subject to interference and the inability to determine multiple pregnancies

The following is a detailed introduction:

Advantages

• Simple and Quick Operation
  Whether it is a urine test or a blood test, the operation process is relatively simple. For urine tests, pregnancy test sticks or early pregnancy test strips can be used, and women can operate them at home by themselves and get preliminary results in a short time. Blood tests are carried out in the hospital’s clinical laboratory, and the testing process is also relatively standardized, and the results can be obtained quickly, saving time for clinical diagnosis.
• High Sensitivity
  This test has a high sensitivity for the detection of early pregnancy. Generally speaking, the blood test can detect the increase in the HCG level in the blood about 7 days after conception, and the urine test can detect HCG about 10 days after pregnancy, which can help women and doctors detect the pregnancy situation as early as possible.
• Strong Specificity
  Under normal circumstances, the content of HCG in the blood and urine of the human body in a non-pregnant state is extremely low. When a significant increase in HCG is detected, the possibility of pregnancy is very high, which has a relatively high specificity and can provide a relatively reliable basis for the diagnosis of pregnancy.
• Quantitative Detection Available
  The blood HCG test can accurately measure the specific content of HCG in the blood. Doctors can more accurately determine the development status of the embryo by observing the changes in the HCG value, such as the doubling situation. It is of great significance for the early detection of abnormal pregnancy and the evaluation of the health of the fetus.
• Wide Range of Uses
  In addition to being used for the diagnosis of early pregnancy, it can also be used to monitor the condition changes of pregnancy-related diseases such as ectopic pregnancy, threatened miscarriage, and hydatidiform mole, assist doctors in judging the treatment effect and prognosis, and also plays an important role in assisted reproductive technologies, such as judging whether the embryo has successfully implanted.

Disadvantages

• Results May Be Interfered
  Certain diseases such as germ cell tumors and endocrine diseases may lead to an increase in the HCG level in the body, resulting in false-positive results. In addition, factors such as the quality of the detection reagent, non-standard operation procedures, and individual differences may also affect the accuracy of the test results.
• Unable to Determine the Pregnancy Location
  The simple HCG pregnancy test can only indicate whether a woman is pregnant, but it cannot determine whether it is an intrauterine pregnancy or an ectopic pregnancy. Other means such as ultrasound examination are needed to clarify the location of the gestational sac and determine whether the pregnancy is normal.
• Unable to Accurately Determine Multiple Pregnancies
  Although the HCG level in a multiple pregnancy is usually higher than that in a single pregnancy, it is not possible to accurately determine whether it is a single pregnancy or a multiple pregnancy only based on the HCG value. Methods such as ultrasound examination are also required to determine the number of fetuses and their development status.
• Unable to Comprehensively Reflect the Fetal Condition
  The HCG level can only reflect the function of the trophoblast cells of the embryo to a certain extent and cannot fully represent the overall development of the fetus. For problems such as whether the fetus has structural malformations and chromosomal abnormalities, further evaluations are required through other examinations such as the screening for pregnancy(Down syndrome screening) and large-scale malformation ultrasound.