Online Pregnancy Test: Parabens and pregnancy - should you be concerned

Online Pregnancy Test

Parabens have been used as preservatives since the early 1920s, and are utilised in preventing the growth of bacteria. They are used in a wide range of consumer products, especially in cosmetics, including skin care products, shampoos and conditioners, facial and body cosmetics, sun screens, underarm products and soaps.

Just have a look in your bathroom cabinet and see how many products contain ingredients such as methyl-, propyl-, butyl- or ethyl-paraben or ingredients such as p-hydroxynenzoate (PHB) esters. Parabens have been widely accepted and used because they are effective preservatives, are inexpensive and are rapidly excreted from the body.

However, more recent studies, including ones in Japan and the UK have shown that parabens are oestrogenic, meaning they mimic the effects of oestrogen in the body, and may even contribute to problems including male fertility and an increased risk of breast cancer, because they are believed to be acting like hormones and disrupting the body's immune system.

For pregnant women, in particular, this raises issues with the type of make-up or skin lotions that they use because of the long exposure time on the skin, and the fact that anything that you put on your skin will get under the skin and potentially reach the fetus.

However, little scientific information exists on whether the use of products with low levels of parabens over many years results in an accumulation of parabens in body tissues and whether there are or are not any health issues associated with the use of consumer products including parabens.

A study first published in 2004 (Darbre, in the Journal of Applied Toxicology) detected parabens in breast tumours. However, the study was inconclusive failing to answer many of the questions raised. By way of example, this study did not demonstrate that parabens caused cancer, or even that they were harmful. In fact, the study did not review the possible levels of parabens in normal tissue.

But although parabens are not yet proven to be a danger to health, at a time when you are pregnant do you want to take any risk that is avoidable? Would you really be prepared to take that chance unless you were 100% certain that there were no harmful effects?

For many women, the answer is no and so they are changing their skin care regimes and choice of cosmetics to products that do not contain parabens as preservatives. This is often a decision made on the grounds that 'avoidance is the best strategy'. While the scientific jury is still out on the safety or otherwise of parabens, who can argue with that philosophy? The best advice is to be aware of the issue, carefully read the list of ingredients on any product that you put on your skin, look at the alternatives that are available, and then make an informed choice.

There are many now many specialist retailers online who stock a wide range of products for pregnant women that do not contain parabens and you should shop around to find which would be most suitable for you.

Online Pregnancy Test: Ordering Pregnancy Test Kit Online

Online Pregnancy Test

If you are late in getting your monthlies, and you feel it is time to have a sneak check, then the best option for you is to order a test kit online. It is often the case for a woman to need an item from the chemist's and feel embarrassed to go shop for it. This is particularly so with pregnancy tests that become a problem when you are not expecting or desiring a baby, or not in a position to have one. The services of an online pharmacy should solve the problem of privacy for you, not to mention that you have a whole range of tests to choose from.

Most women like to buy items like these after some amount of research. However, many eyebrows may be raised if a woman is found lingering at the isles of such products at their local chemist’s. The associated gossip and other hassles can be avoided if you simply take your needs to an online pharmacy.

Shopping for a pregnancy test kit online is easy because you don't need a prescription and you can choose as many items as you see fit. Sometimes, there are several pregnancy tests available from the same manufacturer. Under such circumstances, have a look at the items and see which suits you the best. Moreover, each product is accompanied by a detailed description of the usage mode and a whole set of instructions, which makes it easy for you to get the job done from the comfort and privacy of your home. In case you need further assistance, many of the pregnancy tests sold in online pharmacies have confidential consumer help lines manned by female personnel exclusively. Once you place the order with the online pharmacy, they will process it and deliver the product(s) in a very short period of time. Make sure to give the correct contact details and read the delivery terms and conditions on the web page.

The prices for the pregnancy tests you purchase from an online pharmacy are sometimes lower than those you find at a regular chemist's. Of course some variations are due to the nature of the complexity of the device. Thus, a digital test kit will surely be a little more expensive than a basic one. For instance some advanced items can detect a pregnancy even six days before the actual date for the period. These are bound to cost more, regardless of whether you shop for them online or offline. But even these items will cost slightly less when you get them online. Usually, the discounted amount or the savings you make when buying an item is indicated beside the product, making it easy for you to compare and decide.

In most online pharmacies, the delivery fee is standard for purchases below a typical amount, regardless of the weight of the products. Pregnancy tests fall in this category. Though the maximum delivery time for the order is five working days, more than 90% of goods are dispatched the same day or the following working day. Deliveries are not made on the weekend; therefore, if you place the order on Friday, you will most likely get it on Monday. Hence, if you don't want to wait that long before learning whether you are pregnant or not, cast your doubts aside and go to the local pharmacy to buy a test kit. Otherwise, order quickly from an online pharmacy.

Online Pregnancy Test: First Response Home Pregnancy Test

Online Pregnancy Test

First response home pregnancy tests (HPTs) are designed to detect hCG, a hormone released by the placenta right after the embryo begins implanting into the uterine lining: the hormone is released in a pregnant woman's urine. HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin. Home pregnancy tests (HPTs) are designed to detect it. Detetcting hCG in the blood is how home pregnancy tests work.

How accurate are first response home pregnancy tests? The highest possible screening sensitivity for an hCG-based pregnancy test conducted on the first day of a missed period is 90 percent, as 10 percent of women may not have implanted yet in the uterus. The authors estimate that the highest possible screening sensitivity of a home pregnancy test by one week after the first day of the missed period is 97 percent, thus their accuracy is usually not doubted so long as the test instructions are correctly followed.

Companies Manufacturing Test Kits

Because implantation usually happens 6-12 days after ovulation, it is possible that you are testing too early, too soon. Various home pregnancy test manufacturers advertise their product as being foolproof. Clearblue Easy publishes on its website that Clearblue Easy can be used as early at 4 days before you expect your period, about 5 days sooner than waiting until you miss your period to test. With their digital test, they say 55% get a positive result 3 days before a woman’s period is due, 87% 2 days before, and 92% one day before her pregnant period is due. Then there is the company First Response and Answer, which says that “Answer Quick & Simple® Early Result Pregnancy Test can detect the pregnancy hormone as early as 4 days before you expect your period. In clinical testing, Answer® detected the hormone levels in 69% of women 4 days before their expected period, in 83% of women 3 days before their expected period, in 93% of women 2 days before their expected period, and in 93% of women 1 day before their expected period.” The companies publish their statistics to tell the possible kit user the level of accuracy with which the tests can be conducted.

Instructions To Follow

The test can be conducted at home with you using the midstream urine -- meaning you should urinate a little first and then either hold the test stick in your urine stream or use a collection cup to collect. If, inspite of having bought a stick test, you would like to collect urine in a cup, you need to hold the absorbant tip of the stick in the cup of urine for 5-10 seconds. Otherwise the directions with the test need to be followed. There are online pregnancy test instructions which provide all the information needed to use the tests. If used incorrectly, the tests will not be accurate, so it is essential to read the entire set of instructions before beginning to test. The tests describe a step-by-step method by which to conduct the first response home pregnancy test.