Are you worried about being pregnant? Missed a period or had unprotected sex?
You need to know whether you are pregnant or not. How can you find out?
I might be pregnant, how can I find out?
You may be experiencing all sorts of symptoms that go with pregnancy, but having a pregnancy test done is the best way of finding out if you are pregnant or not.
A pregnancy test detects the presence of a certain pregnancy hormone in your urine. It is quick and easy to do. Most pregnancy tests can detect a pregnancy from the first day of a missed period.
How do I get a pregnancy test?
If you want to do the test yourself, you can:
- Buy one from a chemist (for around £10) and do it at home.
If you want someone to do it for you, you can:
- Go to a pregnancy crisis centre and have a free test. Click here to find your nearest centre. Call CareConfidential on 0800 028 2228 if there is no centre near you.
- Pay a chemist to do one for you on the premises. You will need to take a sample of urine in a small clean container.
- Visit your local walk-in NHS health centre for a free test. To find your nearest one, go to www.nhs.uk/choices.
- Some GP’s still provide pregnancy tests.
- Look for other agencies in your area. Yellow Pages or yell.com can help.
Remember that a positive result may still be a shock to you even though you suspect you might be pregnant. It's a good idea to have someone you can trust with you when you find out the result.
Pregnancy crisis centres give you the opportunity to be with a trained advisor privately when you find out your result. Then you can talk things through, whatever the result.
I might be pregnant, what do I do next?
It may be a huge shock to find out that you are pregnant. You may feel panic and fear, or conflicting emotions of excitement and desperation, for example. You may also feel the pressure of your circumstances.
In other words, it may be a crisis for you.
It can feel as if you need to sort out the problem very quickly, but taking time to talk about it is very important. Call CareConfidential on 0800 028 2228 to talk to a trained advisor for as long as you need.
They will also tell you where to find your nearest pregnancy crisis centre, where you can have as much time as you want to talk it through with someone face to face and consider what to do next.
The trained advisor will help you, when you are ready, to look at your situation, your feelings and the options that are open to you.
- If your result was negative, you may still need to talk to someone about any of the following:
- If you have had unprotected sex within the last 72 hours. Click to find out about emergency contraception.
- how you feel about the possibility of pregnancy in the future
- your feelings about your relationship.
- your ongoing use of contraception
Call CareConfidential on 0800 028 2228 for further help.