Quantitative Pregnancy Blood Test (Beta Human Chorionic Gonadotropin)

Written by the Veritas Pharmacy clinical team. Address: 113 Chester Road, Sunderland. Registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council, registration number 9012617.

Whether conception happened naturally or through in vitro fertilisation, the days between a possible conception and a confirmed pregnancy can feel like the longest wait of all. A quantitative pregnancy blood test, known clinically as a beta human chorionic gonadotropin test, gives a precise, numerical answer, rather than the simple positive or negative result of a home urine test. At Veritas Pharmacy, this test is available as a rapid appointment with a result given to you in the same visit, or as a laboratory test for those who want the sample processed by an external laboratory. Appointments last around 15 minutes, and same-day slots are usually available.

What is a quantitative pregnancy blood test?

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone produced by cells that later form the placenta, and it rises quickly in the earliest weeks of pregnancy. The quantitative pregnancy blood test, more precisely called the beta human chorionic gonadotropin test, measures this hormone directly in the blood, and reports it as an actual number, measured in units per litre, rather than simply confirming that it is present.

This is different from a home pregnancy test bought from a shop, which detects the same hormone in urine but only reports a positive or negative result. A quantitative blood test can detect the hormone earlier, and because it gives an actual figure, it also allows the number to be tracked over several days, which is useful information that a positive or negative line alone cannot provide.

Natural conception compared with in vitro fertilisation

The way this test is used, and how its timing is planned, tends to differ depending on how conception happened.

Following natural conception

After natural conception, the exact day that fertilisation happened is usually not known precisely, since it depends on when ovulation occurred within that particular cycle. As a general guide, human chorionic gonadotropin typically becomes detectable in blood around seven to twelve days after ovulation, and testing is often most reliable from around the time of a missed period onward. Because the starting point is less precise, a single result is usually considered alongside how many days have passed since the last period, and a repeat test some days later is often useful to see how the number is changing.

Following in vitro fertilisation

With in vitro fertilisation, the timeline is far more precise, since the exact date of egg retrieval and the exact day of embryo transfer are both known in advance. Fertility clinics typically schedule a beta human chorionic gonadotropin blood test for a specific day after transfer, commonly around nine to fourteen days after a blastocyst transfer, and this timing is set by the fertility clinic rather than chosen by the patient. Because the starting point is known so precisely, the resulting number can be interpreted with more confidence against expected reference ranges for that exact day, and a second test forty-eight hours later is frequently requested by fertility clinics to check that the number is rising as expected.

If a fertility clinic has already given specific instructions about which day to test, and what number they are expecting to see, it is important to follow that specific guidance, since every in vitro fertilisation protocol is slightly different. Veritas Pharmacy is happy to carry out the blood draw and provide the result to take back to the fertility clinic, or to send it directly if requested.

Rapid test compared with laboratory test

The two options differ in how the blood sample is collected, as well as in where it is processed and how quickly a result becomes available.

The rapid option suits anyone who wants an answer straight away, for example ahead of a fertility clinic appointment later that day. The laboratory option may suit anyone who does not need the result immediately, or who wants the result processed through an external accredited laboratory.

Who might book this test?

This test may be useful for anyone who wants a precise, numerical result rather than a simple positive or negative outcome, including those trying to conceive naturally who want an early or more detailed result, and those undergoing in vitro fertilisation who have been asked by their fertility clinic to have a blood test on a specific day. It can also be useful for tracking a result over time, since a rising or falling number, measured across two or more tests, gives more information than a single reading alone.

What to expect at your appointment

Your appointment begins with a short conversation about why you are having the test, including the approximate date of a natural conception, or the exact date of egg retrieval or embryo transfer if you are undergoing in vitro fertilisation. What happens next depends on which option you have chosen.

If you have chosen the rapid option, a small capillary blood sample is taken with a finger prick. This sample is processed on site, and you receive your quantitative result before you leave, along with an explanation of what the number means and, where relevant, what a repeat test might show.

If you have chosen the laboratory option, a full venous blood sample is taken from your arm through phlebotomy. This sample is sent to an external laboratory, and your result is emailed to you within two to three days.

How to prepare for your appointment

This test needs no special preparation. Eating and drinking as normal beforehand does not affect the result. It is helpful to know the approximate date of your last period if conception was natural, or the exact date of egg retrieval or embryo transfer if you are undergoing in vitro fertilisation, so that your result can be interpreted against the correct timeline.

How to book your quantitative pregnancy blood test in Sunderland

Booking takes a couple of minutes online, or you can call the clinic directly to speak to someone first. We see patients from Sunderland and the surrounding area.

Pricing: £50 for the rapid test, with your quantitative result given to you during the same appointment, or £90 for the laboratory test, with your result emailed to you within two to three days. Both appointments last around 15 minutes. We are open seven days a week, from 9 o’clock in the morning until 5 o’clock in the evening, for private services.

Frequently asked questions about the quantitative pregnancy blood test

Related reading: More Blood Tests and Diagnostics articles