Fifteen days after having sexual intercourse, a pregnancy test strip might detect pregnancy, but only for women with a regular menstrual cycle. If the menstrual cycle is regular, ovulation occurs approximately 14 days before the next menstrual period. Fifteen days after sexual intercourse, the sperm and egg may have combined to form a fertilized egg, which successfully implants in the uterus. In this case, a pregnancy test strip might detect pregnancy. After the embryo implants, the body secretes human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). When hCG reaches a certain concentration in the urine, a pregnancy test strip can determine whether a woman is pregnant. hCG secreted after embryo implantation can be detected in the blood to quickly confirm pregnancy. Testing morning urine with a pregnancy test strip is not as sensitive as blood hCG testing, so the earliest possible detection with a pregnancy test strip is about 15 days after sexual intercourse. If the result is positive, the possibility of early pregnancy is relatively high. A pelvic B-ultrasound can be done for further confirmation of a normal intrauterine pregnancy. During pregnancy, avoid vigorous exercise and lifting heavy objects to prevent threatened abortion.
