Many of the early signs of pregnancy can be nonspecific and easily mistaken for other causes. For this reason, it may be difficult to know when or whether to take a pregnancy test. In this article, we list 10 early signs that can indicate a person should take a pregnancy test.

1. Missed period

While there are many reasons why people may miss periods, if a person is sexually active, it may be due to pregnancy.Most pregnancy tests are very accurate when taken after a missed period, but sometimes the hormone levels might not be high enough to trigger a positive result. If a person misses a period and has a negative pregnancy test, they should repeat it after a few days.

2. Breast changes

Sore and swollen breasts are very common in early pregnancy, but they often occur just before a period, as well.Some people also notice that their nipples become larger or slightly darker in early pregnancy.

3. Light bleeding

Some people experience implantation bleeding, which is light bleeding that happens when the embryo attaches to the uterine wall. Implantation bleeding tends to be lighter and shorter than that of a menstrual period.

The last week of birth control pills usually consists of inactive pills, which do not contain any hormones. They are sometimes called placebo pills or sugar pills. There are many different types of birth control pill.

One of the most common is the combination pill, which contains synthetic forms of the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Different types and brands of the pill may include various amounts of placebo pills in their packs. Common types of combination pill packs include:

• 28-day pill packs: For most brands, the pills for the first 3 weeks of the pack contain the hormones, while those for the last 7 days do not contain any hormones at all. These pills are known as placebo pills, and they are there to help people make a habit of taking the pill regularly. Some newer pill brands use fewer placebo pills.
• 21-day pill packs: These pill packs contain 21 days of pills with active hormones. A person will then wait 7 days before starting a new pack, during which time they will not take any placebo pills.
• 91-day pill packs: Some types of pill contain 84 active pills and 7 inactive pills. People taking these pills should only get their period once every 3 months.

The first-ever study revealed that women who use these products are three times more likely to experience some type of vaginal infection. In some cases it may be women purchased the product to address an existing vaginal concern.

This study establishes a baseline of what Canadian women do with regard to their vaginal health and identifies concerning correlations that researchers can now look into more closely,” said psychology professor Kieran O’Doherty, the study’s lead investigator.

Published in the journal BMC Women’s Health, the study surveyed nearly 1,500 Canadian women about their vaginal health practices and products, and how often they experienced problems.

While research has shown douching can have negative impacts on vaginal health, little was known about the dozens of other products out there,” said O’Doherty.

The most commonly used products included anti-itch creams, moisturizers and lubricants, and feminine wipes. The results connected certain products with specific infections.