You can take a pregnancy test for the most accurate result about 10 to 14 days after unprotected sex , which often corresponds to the time of a missed period. This is because pregnancy tests detect the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which your body starts producing only after the fertilized egg implants in the uterus-a process that can take up to 2-3 weeks from the day of sex
. Key points:
- Pregnancy does not start immediately after sex ; sperm can take up to 5-6 days to fertilize the egg, and implantation takes several more days
- Testing too early (e.g., within 5 days of sex) is usually too soon to detect hCG and may result in a false negative
- The best time to test is after a missed period or about two weeks after unprotected sex if your periods are irregular or you don’t know when your next period is due
- For the most reliable results, use the first morning urine to take the test, as it contains the highest concentration of hCG
- Some very sensitive tests claim to detect pregnancy a few days before a missed period, but these are less accurate and more likely to give false negatives if taken too early
In summary, waiting about two weeks after unprotected sex or until your period is late will give you the most accurate pregnancy test results. Testing earlier than this is generally not recommended due to low hormone levels that may not be detectable yet
