Cost of Pregnancy Tests in the USA – Cheap Vs Expensive Pregnancy Tests

If you have a suspicion that you might be pregnant, you will be eager to know if it is true or not. The best time to take a pregnancy test is a week after your period was due. This way, you can avoid getting any inaccurate results. It can even be taken on the day your period was due, or better yet, just one day after. If you have irregular periods, you may find it hard to figure out when to test. After all, it isn’t easy to know when you are ovulating. In such cases, you should take the test two weeks after intercourse.

If you are ready to test for pregnancy, you have a few options that you can consider. You can head to the store and buy a regular home test, visit a doctor, or even find a free alternative to get tested. Not only that, but there are also different kinds of pregnancy tests:  blood tests and urine tests. In this article, we will go through each test option and how much it costs so that you can be better informed when you are deciding to get one done.

How Much Does A Pregnancy Test Cost?

How much you need to spend on a pregnancy test will really depend on what type of test you are going for. Even where you get your test done has an effect on the cost. Most women usually opt for home pregnancy tests, which test for pregnancy using urine. If you want to have a blood test done, you will need to go to the hospital. Let us look at each of the two.

Cost of a Home Pregnancy Test

Home pregnancy tests work by testing the urine for the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin or the hCG. This is commonly known as the pregnancy hormone. Since your body produces this throughout pregnancy, you can use a simple home test at any point throughout your pregnancy.

These test kits are readily available at dollar stores, the pharmacy, Walmart, Target, or even your local grocery store. The price of these will range from one dollar to about thirty dollars. Just because a test is expensive, it does not mean that it is more accurate than the cheaper versions. Some are merely expensive because they have unique features.

Home urine tests are also used in many physicians’ offices. Midwives trust the results of a home pregnancy test as well. You may not be asked to repeat a test if you go to the doctor and say that your home pregnancy test came out positive. If you take the test at the doctor’s office, the price will differ. It really depends on where you go. Sometimes a test may even go up to $100 or more as the pregnancy test, and doctor cost is included in the final billing.

Cost of a Blood Pregnancy Test

Blood pregnancy tests cost a lot more than a home urine test. Similar to the urine test, the hCG is measured in blood tests as well. But, as the name suggests, the hCG levels are measured in your blood. While not everyone needs to have a blood test done, there may be a specific reason for doing so. Your practitioner may need to look at the particular quantity of the pregnancy hormone that is determined by this test. Often, blood pregnancy tests are the last resort that anyone opts for. Counting the number of hCG can help with finding out if the pregnancy is healthy. In normal pregnancies, the number of the hormone is supposed to double every two days. The blood test will be able to pick up on this very quickly.

Insurance usually covers the cost of a blood pregnancy test. However, if you want to pay for it, you should speak to the specific lab doing the testing to find out what they charge. Generally, the pregnancy test cost without insurance is around $50, but each lab may have a different price for it.

Cheap Pregnancy Tests

If you don’t want to spend too much money on pregnancy tests, here are some pros and cons of cheaper pregnancy tests that may help you to decide if you want to buy them.

Pros

• The most obvious advantage of these types of pregnancy tests is that they cost less than others.
• They work as well as other types when it comes to delivering results.

Cons

• There are not many features that make testing for pregnancy more convenient.
• Since they are very basic, some may have trouble understanding the results.
• If the lines are not dark enough, it can result in confusion, and there will be a need to test again, hoping for a more precise result.
• You will get fewer tests in the box.

Accuracy

Though they are not fancy and have basic functioning, the results of the cheap pregnancy tests are 99% accurate when the manufacturer’s instructions are followed.

Expensive Pregnancy Tests

If you don’t mind spending money on pregnancy tests, but need to know if it is worth it, here are the pros and cons of the more expensive tests.

Pros

• Some of the expensive tests have less waiting time as they are more sensitive to the level of hCG.
• They often come with additional features that make testing a lot easier. Some have digital reading; others have better handles for grip.
• There are often more tests available in one pack.

Cons

• You spend more money on them.
• Tests that claim to be more sensitive to hCG can be inaccurate if they are taken before the day your period is expected to start.

Accuracy

Very accurate if tested at the right time. Follow the instructions on the packaging, and you should be able to get very accurate results.

What Kind of Pregnancy Tests Should You Prefer?

What you should prefer really depends on what suits your needs. For those who are too impatient to wait the standard time to find out about their pregnancy test results, you can go for the tests that are quicker at showing you if you are pregnant or not. For those who find it hard to understand the result on the regular tests, you can go for the ones that are easier to read. Some of them outright say “Not pregnant” or “Pregnant” There are even some tests that use frowny and smiley faces.

You will have to pay more for these tests, but they are far more convenient to use. If you are perfectly alright with reading the instructions and following them, the basic test will work just fine. They are as accurate as the expensive ones. You just need to resign yourself to waiting for the test to process the result.

Make sure that you are aware of the expiration date on the pregnancy tests. Whether cheap or expensive, the pregnancy test will most likely give you a false reading if it is past its expiration date.

There is no need to opt for a blood pregnancy test unless there are any complications with the pregnancy. This is the most expensive way of testing for pregnancies. Since the urine home pregnancy tests work well, there is often no need to pay for a lab to tell you if you are pregnant or not.

Where Can You Get Free Pregnancy Tests?

Though some pregnancy tests are cheap, the cost of living can sometimes leave you with very little to spend on anything, except the essentials. If you would like to save rather than spend on a pregnancy test, there are places that offer free pregnancy tests to women. They usually provide urine tests rather than blood tests. Here are some options that you can consider for free pregnancy testing:

1. Crisis Pregnancy Centres That Are Faith-Based

Churches often set up medical centres for those who are in a crisis. The aim is to stop abortions, and so they will try to help those women who are looking to find different alternatives. They may even help with housing, adoption information, and medical care. If you are interested, you can look up information on your local faith-based centre.

2. Local Health Department

County or city health departments do offer services for family planning. Here, they also offer pregnancy tests for free as some people cannot afford it. They will give you a discount if you can afford to buy a pregnancy test.

3. Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood offers free pregnancy tests for those who cannot afford it. It is a chain of medical facilities that specialise in family planning services. They have gynaecologic exams, adoption referrals, counselling for abortions, and other services related to reproduction.

How To Save Money On Pregnancy Tests

There may be different reasons why a woman may want to buy a lot of pregnancy tests. Most of the time, it has something to do with a couple who is trying to get pregnant, and the woman cannot wait to find out. Don’t worry, in most cases, you are not alone. However, it can sometimes become quite heavy on the pocket to have to keep spending on pregnancy tests.

To make sure that you don’t burn a hole in your pocket, you will just need to be careful with how you are testing, and stick with the basic type of pregnancy tests. The cheaper pregnancy tests that you find at dollar stores or pharmacies are just as accurate as, the more expensive ones, so buy a few of these and keep them at home.

Another way you can make sure to save money is by not wasting your pregnancy tests. Make sure that you test only on the day after your period was due. It can be difficult to wait, but it is better to get an accurate reading than have to keep checking and wasting your pregnancy tests.

Many women are really excited when they find out that they are going to become mothers. Especially when it is their first child. In such cases, getting a false positive or negative can be quite disappointing emotionally. This is why, no matter which pregnancy test you decide to go with, cheap or expensive, just remember, always to follow the instructions and to check the expiry date. It is crucial that you get an accurate reading.

Also Read:

Digital Pregnancy Test
Homemade (DIY) Pregnancy Tests
Different Ways to Confirm Pregnancy Without Taking a Test