What does a positive pregnancy test indicate?

A positive pregnancy test indicates the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the urine or blood. This hormone is produced by the placenta shortly after the embryo attaches to the uterine lining, and its level can be detected in a pregnant person's body.

The presence of hCG is a key marker that differentiates pregnancy from non-pregnancy. It typically appears within a week of conception and is an essential factor in confirming pregnancy through various testing methods. As hCG levels rise in the early stages of pregnancy, they can be measured by both home pregnancy tests and laboratory blood tests, making it the most definitive indicator of pregnancy.

While other hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone, play critical roles throughout pregnancy, they are not the specific markers utilized in standard pregnancy testing to confirm the presence of a pregnancy. Consequently, a pregnancy test specifically targets hCG as the primary indicator.