What hormone is typically tested during a pregnancy test?

The hormone that is typically tested during a pregnancy test is human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This hormone is produced by the placenta shortly after a fertilized egg attaches to the uterine lining. The presence of hCG in the urine or blood is a strong indicator of pregnancy and is what the majority of home pregnancy tests are designed to detect.

When a woman becomes pregnant, the levels of hCG can increase rapidly, doubling approximately every 48 to 72 hours in the early stages of pregnancy. This hormone serves to maintain the production of progesterone and estrogen, which are vital for sustaining the pregnancy and ensuring the proper development of the embryo.

Other hormones mentioned, such as progesterone, luteinizing hormone, and estrogen, play important roles in various aspects of the menstrual cycle and pregnancy but are not the primary indicators used in pregnancy tests. For example, while progesterone helps maintain the uterine lining for a fertilized egg, it is not specific to pregnancy and can be present in varying levels at different stages of the menstrual cycle. Similarly, luteinizing hormone plays a key role in ovulation but is not indicative of pregnancy. Estrogen is also necessary during pregnancy but, like progesterone, does not serve as a reliable