Should you take a homemade bleach pregnancy test? The idea of trying an easy, DIY pregnancy test using an ingredient you probably already have in the house might be appealing.
The problem? It’s risky — and you can’t trust the results. So before you grab that bottle under the bathroom sink, here’s what you should know about homemade bleach pregnancy tests.
What is a homemade bleach pregnancy test?
The bleach pregnancy test is a DIY test that involves mixing your urine with bleach. Supposedly the bleach will react with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the pregnancy hormone found in urine, to tell you whether you’re pregnant.
How does the bleach pregnancy test work?
Users claim that bleach pregnancy tests work in a similar way to legitimate home pregnancy tests you buy at the store, though there’s no research or evidence backing that up. Basically, you urinate in a cup and pour some bleach into the urine.
According to proponents of the test, foamy urine indicates the presence of hCG, which means you’re pregnant, while urine that doesn’t foam or only fizzes a little bit doesn’t contain hCG, which means you’re not pregnant.
How accurate is a home pregnancy test with bleach?
Not very accurate — so you shouldn’t count on one to tell you whether you’re pregnant. Bleach pregnancy tests have never been studied, and no major medical organization recommends using them.
What if you just want to try it for fun? Some DIY tests (like the sugar pregnancy test) are totally harmless, and it’s fine to play around with them as long as you also take a store-bought pregnancy test that uses a technology approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or obtain a blood test from your doctor to confirm your results.
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But taking the bleach pregnancy test is a bad idea, many OB/GYNs say, because inhaling bleach fumes could be dangerous, especially if the bleach is mixed with ammonia and you’re doing it in an enclosed space like the bathroom. You also need to avoid any direct contact with skin or eyes and the bleach, as it can cause irritation and burning.
How do you read the test results?
According to users, figuring out whether a bleach pregnancy test is positive or negative is pretty straightforward: Foamy urine is a sign that the bleach is interacting with hCG, which means that you’re pregnant. Urine that doesn’t foam or only gets a little fizzy doesn’t contain hCG, which means that you’re not pregnant. But again, there’s absolutely no evidence to support these claims.
When should you take a homemade bleach pregnancy test?
You shouldn’t, doctors warn. There haven’t been any studies looking at whether bleach pregnancy tests actually work, so there’s a good chance you’ll get an inaccurate reading. More seriously, inhaling the fumes could hurt you and — if you're pregnant — potentially harm your baby.
If you think you might be pregnant, a simple urine pregnancy test using technology approved by the FDA that you can buy at the drugstore is safer and much more accurate. The most accurate method is to get a blood pregnancy test from your OB/GYN. If you want to follow up with a homemade test just for fun, use a harmless option like the sugar pregnancy test rather than one using bleach.
Are there any risks associated with a bleach pregnancy test?
Yes. Bleach is a powerful chemical, and it hasn’t been studied on pregnant women. Experts don’t know whether inhaling the fumes could be harmful to your baby, so it makes sense to minimize your exposure during your pregnancy. Even though the test only takes a few minutes, you’re better safe than sorry, right?
What’s more, like with other heavy-duty cleaning products, there’s a chance that the bleach fumes could irritate your eyes, nose, throat or lungs.
Homemade bleach pregnancy tests have the potential to be harmful to both you and your baby, and there’s no proof that they work. You’re better off skipping them altogether in favor of drugstore pregnancy tests, which are both accurate and safe.
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