Home Pregnancy Test Accuracy Topic Guide

Many different types of birth control are available, and include hormonal methods, barrier methods, and behavioral methods. The type of birth control depends on the method or options a woman chooses. Common side effects of the birth control pill (the most common form of birth control used by women in the US) include, fluid retention, breakthrough bleeding, missed periods, anxiety, mood changes, and decreased sexual desire (libido).

The practice of birth control is as old as human existence. Your choice of birth control method involves factors such as how easy it is to use, safety, risks, cost, and personal considerations. Each form of birth control has its own advantages and disadvantages.

A miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) is a pregnancy that spontaneously ends before the fetus can survive. There are classifications of miscarriage that include threatened, inevitable, incomplete, and complete miscarriage. There are a variety of causes of a miscarriage. Causes of miscarriage include defective genes of the fetus, chronic illness, including diabetes, severe high blood pressure, kidney disease, lupus, and underactive or overactive thyroid gland, acute infections, including Germany measles, CMV, and mycoplasma (walking pneumonia), diseases and abnormalities of the internal female organs, and other factors, including certain drugs like alcohol, tobacco, and cocaine. Symptoms of a miscarriage are vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, and cramping. If a woman thinks she may be having a miscarriage, she should seek medical care with her doctor or go to an emergency department.

Morning sickness, or vomiting during pregnancy, is very common during the first three months of pregnancy. "Morning sickness" does not mean that nausea and vomiting only occur in the morning; symptoms can occur at any time of day. Talk with your doctor if you have persistent vomiting and/or nausea during pregnancy.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a variety of symptoms and signs that about 90% of women experience within the two weeks up to the start of her menstrual period. Pregnancy is the period in which a fetus develops in a woman's uterus, usually lasting about nine months (about 40 weeks). PMS and early pregnancy share symptoms and signs like mood changes, headaches, back pain, weight gain, breast pain or tenderness, and abdominal cramping. Some of the main differences between PMS and early pregnancy symptoms are the amount of vaginal bleeding, how long fatigue lasts, and the strength of the abdominal cramping. PMS symptoms that don't occur during pregnancy are joint pain and acne flare-ups. Moreover, PMS symptoms are fairly predictable. Early pregnancy symptoms and signs that do not occur with PMS are a vaginal discharge and darkening of the nipples. The only way to find out if you are pregnant is with a pregnancy test.

Pregnancy planning is important to help prevent exposure of the mother and fetus to potentially harmful medications and substances during the early days, and throughout the pregnancy. Nutritional planning, prevention of birth defects, conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease need careful monitoring. Gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and pregnancy-induced hypertension are conditions that may arise during pregnancy. Immunizations, inherited disorders, exercise, air travel, intercourse, and birth control are important factors to consider when planning a pregnancy.

Pregnancy occurs when an egg is fertilized by a sperm, grows inside a woman's uterus (womb), and develops into a baby. In humans, this process takes about 280 days.

The symptoms of early pregnancy a pregnant woman may experience include missed periods, abdominal bloating, nausea and vomiting, breast tenderness and pain, food cravings, fatigue, frequent urination, elevated body temperature, changes in nipple color, darkening of the skin (melasma), mood swings, stress, headaches, and other symptoms.

A threatened miscarriage is any vaginal bleeding other than spotting during early pregnancy. There may be causes for a threatened miscarriage such as an abnormal fetus, chronic illness of the mother, acute infections, and other factors (alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs).