hCG Blood Test - Reliable Pregnancy Blood Test
Quantitative HCG blood test for early and accurate pregnancy detection.
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Included Markers
1 markersAn hCG blood test measures the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your blood. This pregnancy hormone is produced shortly after a fertilised egg implants in the uterus. A blood-based hCG test can detect pregnancy earlier than most urine tests and provides a more precise reading of your hCG levels.
Why this test?
A pregnancy blood test may offer more clarity than a standard urine test. While a urine test only indicates whether hCG is present, a blood test measures the exact amount of hCG in your blood. This can be helpful if you want to find out early in pregnancy where you stand, or if a urine test gave an unclear result.
Who is this test for?
This hCG blood test may be relevant in various situations:
Women who suspect they may be pregnant and want a reliable confirmation
Women who had an unclear or negative urine test but still experience symptoms
Women who want to test earlier than a urine test allows
Women who want to monitor their hCG levels during early pregnancy
What is tested?
This test measures the following marker:
b-hCG (beta-human chorionic gonadotropin): a hormone produced by the placenta after implantation of a fertilised egg. The amount of hCG in your blood may indicate whether you are pregnant and how far along the pregnancy may be.
What can this test tell you?
The results of an hCG blood test provide insight into the amount of hCG in your blood. In a healthy pregnancy, hCG levels typically rise rapidly in the first weeks. The test may help confirm a pregnancy at an early stage. Keep in mind that hCG levels can vary considerably between individuals. A healthcare provider can help you interpret the results in the right context.
How is the sample collected?
For this hCG blood test, a small blood sample is taken at a certified laboratory. You can visit one of over 750 collection locations across the Netherlands. The procedure takes only a few minutes and is easy to schedule at a time that suits you.
When is this test useful?
An hCG blood test may be useful in various situations:
If you are a few days late and want clarity quickly
If a urine test gave an unclear result
If you want to test just days after conception, before hCG is detectable in urine
If your doctor or midwife has advised you to have your hCG levels checked
If you have previously experienced an ectopic pregnancy and extra monitoring is desired
What do the results mean?
Your test results show the measured hCG levels in your blood. Generally, an hCG value above a certain threshold may suggest that you could be pregnant. In the first weeks of a healthy pregnancy, hCG levels typically double every 48 to 72 hours. High hCG levels may in some cases occur with a multiple pregnancy. Values that are lower than expected, or that rise more slowly, can have various causes. Always discuss your results with a healthcare provider, who can help determine whether further steps may be needed.
Preparation
No special preparation is needed for an hCG blood test. You do not need to fast, and the test can be taken at any time of day. If you are using medication that contains hCG (for example, as part of a fertility treatment), let your healthcare provider know.
What happens after the results?
You will typically receive your results within a few working days. If you receive a positive result, it is advisable to contact your GP or midwife for further guidance. They can advise you on possible next steps and assess whether additional testing may be appropriate. The information on this page is intended as general information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always discuss your results with a doctor.
Frequently Asked Questions
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On the same business day you'll receive an email from ZorgDomein with a barcode. Orders outside business hours are processed the next business day.
Get tested at a lab near you
Show the barcode on your phone and bring a valid ID. Done in under 15 minutes.
Receive your report from the doctor
A BIG-registered physician reviews your hormone values and writes a personal report. On your dashboard within a few business days.
Choose your hormone test
Browse our hormone panels and pick what you want tested. Compare markers and prices, or build a custom test.
Receive your lab referral
On the same business day you'll receive an email from ZorgDomein with a barcode. Orders outside business hours are processed the next business day.
Get tested at a lab near you
Show the barcode on your phone and bring a valid ID. Done in under 15 minutes.
Receive your report from the doctor
A BIG-registered physician reviews your hormone values and writes a personal report. On your dashboard within a few business days.
Always a location near you
With more than 700+ certified phlebotomy points across the Netherlands.
What We Test
This test includes 1 biomarkers to give you a comprehensive health picture.
Beta-hCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) is the hormone produced by an implanting pregnancy. This blood test measures the beta chain of that hormone and returns an exact number in U/L rather than a yes-or-no answer. In serum, hCG becomes detectable roughly eight to eleven days after conception, a few days earlier than most home urine tests pick it up. Outside pregnancy hCG has a second role: it is used as a tumour marker in trophoblastic disease and in germ cell tumours, in women and in men alike. A single value tells you little. Meaning almost always comes from the trend across two measurements and from ultrasound, interpreted by your doctor.
Learn moreb-hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin)
FertilityBeta-hCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) is the hormone produced by an implanting pregnancy. This blood test measures the beta chain of that hormone and returns an exact number in U/L rather than a yes-or-no answer. In serum, hCG becomes detectable roughly eight to eleven days after conception, a few days earlier than most home urine tests pick it up. Outside pregnancy hCG has a second role: it is used as a tumour marker in trophoblastic disease and in germ cell tumours, in women and in men alike. A single value tells you little. Meaning almost always comes from the trend across two measurements and from ultrasound, interpreted by your doctor.
The best-known rule of thumb about hCG is that the value doubles every 48 hours in early pregnancy. That is a simplification. In a normally progressing intrauterine pregnancy below roughly 1,500 U/L, the minimum expected rise over 48 hours is about 50 per cent, and normally progressing pregnancies exist that rise more slowly than the classic doubling. As the value climbs, the rate of rise also slows. Two measurements 48 hours apart, run by the same laboratory, are therefore far more informative than one isolated result. Different laboratories use different assays and calibrations, so two numbers from two laboratories cannot simply be compared. A second limitation matters just as much: hCG cannot tell you where a pregnancy is located. An ectopic pregnancy can produce a rising, a falling or a plateauing hCG. Location is answered by transvaginal ultrasound, not by a number. Above the so-called discriminatory zone, somewhere between roughly 1,500 and 3,500 U/L depending on the centre, a normal intrauterine pregnancy should be visible on ultrasound. Sudden abdominal pain, pain radiating to the shoulder tip, dizziness or fainting in early pregnancy is an emergency, whatever the number is doing. A single value also cannot date a pregnancy. The weekly ranges overlap so heavily that a result without ultrasound gives no reliable gestational age. Outside pregnancy, hCG is a tumour marker. Trophoblastic disease, such as a molar pregnancy and choriocarcinoma, produces very high values. Germ cell tumours can produce hCG in both sexes; in men the result is assessed alongside AFP and LDH. In a man, any detectable hCG is abnormal and calls for clinical assessment. Finally, two assay artefacts explain why a surprising result is confirmed rather than acted upon. In the high-dose hook effect, an extremely high hCG saturates the assay and a falsely low value is reported. In so-called phantom hCG, heterophile antibodies react with the test: serum is positive, urine is negative, and there is no pregnancy. In perimenopausal and postmenopausal women a low hCG can also be pituitary in origin, which is a recognised benign finding and not a pregnancy.
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