To find out for sure if you are pregnant you can take a home pregnancy test available from your pharmacist, however the reliability of the result will depend on when you take the test and on the type of test you use. A test taken before your period is due or soon after may give a false negative result and should be retaken if you think you may be pregnant.
Early pregnancy tests can now be taken several days before your period is due. Some pregnancy tests claim to be reliable from up to five days before the first day of your period so check with the pharmacist the best test to suit your needs and it is vital that you read through the instructions and follow them carefully.
A pregnancy test detects the presence of hCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) in your urine. As your pregnancy progresses the level of hCG increases. At two weeks from conception most women will have enough hCG in their body for the test to detect it. If you can wait until the first day after your period is due (the first day of your expected period being late) then most tests will be able to accurately pick up traces of hCG if you are pregnant and give a positive result! If there is a negative result at this stage try again a few days later and it may prove positive then!
If may be that you do not have a regular menstrual cycle and are not sure when the first day of your period is due. If this is the case wait three weeks from the date you had unprotected intercourse and if you are pregnant a test at around this time should detect hCG.
Remember that an early pregnancy test that gives a positive result showing that you are pregnant will almost certainly be accurate however a negative result may mean that it is too early for the test to detect the pregnancy hormone and if you try again in a few days you may get a positive result. For absolute peace of mind a trip to your doctor once you have had a positive test result will give confirmation.
