2024-03-20
Medical devices-How Soon After Unprotected Sex Should You Take a Pregnancy Test?
Brandi Jones has over two decades of experience as a nurse in an acute care setting. Her clinical background includes pediatrics, medical-surgical, and women's health. She also specializes in professional staff development.HEALTH'S EDITORIAL GUIDELINESIf you've recently had unprotected sex, it's common to wonder when you should test for pregnancy. The short answer: home pregnancy tests are most accurate when you take them after your period is late. Generally, you can take early-detection pregnancy tests eight days after conception. However, experts suggest that you'll get your most accurate test results when you take a test 10 to 14 days after unprotected sex.1 Pregnancy tests work by detecting the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)—a hormone that people with female reproductive systems produce after conception and implantation.2 It can take up to two weeks after unprotected sex for your body to produce enough hCG for the test to detect the hormone properly.3