Pink Dye Pregnancy Tests – Accuracy & Pink Dye VS
Using a pregnancy test in the comfort of your home is not rocket science. Pregnancy tests are easy to use, even for first-timers.
However, before you can pee on a test, you must first make the decision of which kind of test you would like to buy: digital, blue, or pink dye pregnancy tests?
Both blue and pink dye pregnancy tests are dye-based. These can be purchased over-the-counter, just like the other kind of pregnancy test available, which is digital. However, what are their differences?
Digital tests’ results will depend on your hCG levels, and the reading will display whether you are pregnant or not. Like the digital pregnancy tests, a pink/blue dye test works will also base the results on the hCG present in the urine. The strip will show a line or plus sign when the chemical reaction is activated, leading to the change in colour.
The Accuracy of Pregnancy Tests
Buying digital, pink pregnancy tests, or blue dye test pregnancy kits may be easy, but what exactly are you aiming for? These test kits can provide accurate results as long as you use them properly. The tests available at drugstores are 99 per cent as accurate as the urine pregnancy tests you can get at your doctor’s clinic.
Digital, pink, and blue dye pregnancy tests check your urine for hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone that is present once implantation occurs- where the fertilized egg implants onto the uterine wall- where it will develop into a foetus.
When is the Best Time to Use a Digital, Blue Dye Pregnancy Test or Pink Pregnancy Test Kit?
You should take a pregnancy test after noticing that you have missed your menstrual period. The pregnancy test kits come with instructions that you have to follow religiously to get accurate results.
It is crucial that you check the products’ expiration dates. You shouldn’t stock up on these items since they have expiration dates.
Digital, pink or blue pregnancy test kits work best when used anytime when your period is delayed. Besides, you have to be sure about your condition as early as possible to do all things necessary to protect the child in your womb and prepare for your pregnancy.
You must also make it a habit to read package directions when buying digital, blue, or pink pregnancy tests. They indicate the best time to use them and the accuracy rate. Some kits can already detect the presence of hCG in your urine ten days after you’ve had unprotected sex.
However, they may give off digital, pink, or blue dye pregnancy tests false positives or false negatives. To be safe and get more accurate results, it is recommended that you take the test three weeks after unprotected sex. If your pregnancy test result changes in 2 hours, we have an article that may help: Positive pregnancy Test Then Negative 2 Hours Later – 4 Reasons Why
Where Can You Buy Blue or Pink Pregnancy Tests?
All three – digital, blue, and pink dye pregnancy- test kits can be obtained from grocery stores, drugstores, or your local pharmacy. They are typically inexpensive and safe to use. Many health centres use the same products for their patients’ urine pregnancy tests. It is only under special conditions that your doctor would perform a blood test to confirm your pregnancy.
Pink Dye vs Blue Dye Pregnancy Tests?
So, you have decided to buy a dye test kit… only to be asked if you want a blue or pink dye test. How do you choose, and does the colour even matter?
Many people will agree that pink pregnancy tests are better when it comes to pink dye vs blue dye pregnancy tests. This is due to the fact that women often receive false-positive results on blue dye tests due to the evap lines.
What’s a blue dye evaporation line? It’s a colourless and almost faint line that may give you a false reading. It can convince you that you have a positive pregnancy test result when you are actually negative. Pink dye pregnancy tests are less prone to false readings due to the evaporation line. Why not check out our article, Do Evaporation Lines Disappear?
No matter the colour of the pregnancy test you buy, you will need to determine the kits’ sensitivity levels to hCG. This information is usually written on their boxes or on the information leaflet inside. The higher it is, the earlier you can get an accurate result from the test.
Many pink dye pregnancy tests have a 25 mIU/mL hCG threshold. It means that the kit will only need the indicated hCG amount in your urine to detect a positive result.
While these kits are generally inexpensive, there are also certain brands that are priced higher. However, you can safely use the cheaper brands, especially when planning to take a pregnancy test every day, as some women choose to do. Some people would want to make sure their results are accurate before committing to the pregnancy or announcing to their loved ones about their state.
The bottom line here is that pink dye tests are better than blue dye tests since they rarely produce evaporation lines. If you would like a pregnancy test with worded results- i.e. pregnant or not pregnant- you have to go for the digital kind. However, it is crucial to note that digital test kits will require more hCG, which means you have to wait at least until the day of your missed period before taking the test.
If you are wondering if you can reuse a pregnancy test, you can read our article, Can You Reuse a Pregnancy Test?
More About Pink Dye Pregnancy Tests
Whenever you are confused about what pregnancy test kit to buy, the safest option is to go for the pink one! As stated above, it provides more accurate results than the blue type, so it is no surprise that many women opt for and prefer pink dye tests.
When you already have purchased the product, you should test your urine according to what’s recommended by the test strip’s brand. Not following what’s written on its box may lead to inaccurate results.
Generally, you have to wait ten days after experiencing a delay in your period before using the test kit. If you have missed your period and have this nagging feeling that you are pregnant, you still have to wait at least three days before getting another test.
It is recommended to use the test strip immediately after waking up in the morning. Your goal here is accuracy. The hCG in your body builds up in your urine while you sleep. Your body will experience its peak in the morning.
Here are some tips to get things right when using pink dye pregnancy tests:
Use a cup instead of holding the test strip directly under your urine stream.
As you can imagine, the latter can be messy. When you hold the test kit to sample your urine, you may likely lose your grip, causing the strip to fall into the toilet. Aside from wasting money, you may have to wait for the following day to get your test done to ensure you’ll get accurate results.
Holding the test kit under your urine stream does not assure that you will get sufficient liquid into the test kit. It often happens to those who haven’t experienced using the kit or feel uneasy about what they’re doing.
To avoid the common problems, use a clean plastic cup instead. You can easily catch enough liquid into the cup to get a good reading. Read the kit’s instructions and dip it into the cup for the recommended time as indicated in the product’s box.
Be Mindful of the Time Limit.
Home pregnancy tests have a time limit. You cannot leave them sitting for too long, or else you will get inaccurate results. You will also read about the time window on the product’s box. The dye test kits show lines to indicate results.
One line pertains to a control line that would always show no matter the outcome. The second line is what you need to wait to appear as it indicates whether you are pregnant or not.
The longer you let the test kit sit without reading, the higher the chances of an evaporation line appearing. This colourless and faint line typically shows when the urine dries. It may give you a false positive reading, especially if you aren’t familiar with such a line.
If you are unsure if you have a faint positive result or evaporation line, you can read our article, Evaporation Line vs Faint Positive
Avoid Reading the Results Too Early.
While you cannot wait until the urine dries up before reading the test result, you cannot do it too early either. It takes time for your urine to travel through the kit’s indicator window. You have to give it ample time to get there.
You cannot read too early because it might show a different result than what you will actually get. You have to check the amount of time you have to wait (on the home pregnancy test box or information pamphlet) before checking the result. A good idea is to set a timer once you have taken the test. This way, you are confident that you won’t read the results too early or too late.
Final Thoughts
Pink dye pregnancy tests offer more accurate results than blue pregnancy tests. However, you have to do things right and allow ample time before reading the test results. These tests are highly accurate, but after getting them done, it is still safer to have an ultrasound to confirm the result and check the embryo’s health as early as possible.
My name is Louise and I am the Digital Marketing and Administrative Assistant at MyBump2Baby. I have been writing in the parenting niche for over 2 years specialising in fertility, pregnancy, baby and baby name support articles.