Dr. Brasner says that these medical or health risks of taking a premature pregnancy test are only one side of the story; there is an emotional aspect to consider. "Just as there are many potential health risks with early home pregnancy testing, there are mental and emotional risks as well," she says. "Clearly women need to be educated on how home pregnancy tests work and when the best time is to take them to receive accurate results to minimize these risks. This is especially relevant to the increasingly large number of women who are desperately trying to get pregnant and dealing with infertility problems. A false reading can be devastating."

There are several factors that could contribute to an inaccurate reading on a home pregnancy test. According to Dr. Brasner, the most common reason is not following instructions and/or mishandling the test. "Home pregnancy tests are effective and accurate when used correctly," she says. "With most at-home pregnancy tests, to get an accurate reading, the absorbent tip of the test stick should be pointed downward and placed in the urine stream for a full five seconds. Then the stick should be placed on a flat surface to wait for the results to appear. Result times vary from test to test, but most results can be read within three minutes."

Even when used correctly, to get accurate readings, pregnancy tests must be done at the right time. "It is important that women wait to take [home pregnancy tests] until their chances of getting an accurate reading are very high," says Dr. Brasner. "This means beginning the day a woman misses her period or later. Taking a test too early can result in a false negative response for almost 50 percent of pregnant women, which could lead them to resume behaviors that might unknowingly put their unborn babies at risk."

Want to see more?

• Pregnancy Test FAQs: Answers to Your Questions
• Home Pregnancy Test Basics
• Are You or Aren't You? Common Signs of Pregnancy
• Talk about it!