How Do Antibodies Work on Pregnancy Tests

Monoclonal antibodies are attached to the end of a pregnancy test stick onto which a woman urinates. If she is pregnant, HCG will be present in her urine and will bind to the monoclonal antibodies on the test stick. This will cause a change in colour or pattern which will indicate pregnancy.

Do pregnancy tests have antibodies?

Pregnancy tests use antibodies to detect human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). It is an ideal marker of pregnancy since it rises rapidly and consistently in early pregnancy and can be detected in urine.

How do pregnancy tests work to show a positive result?

Each day of early pregnancy, your body will create more hCG. As the weeks go on, you’ll have more and more hCG in your body, which will make it more likely that a pregnancy test will show as positive. Pregnancy tests work by reacting to the amount of hCG in either your urine or blood.