He pregnancy test with saliva has arrived. Until now, if a person wanted to know if she was pregnant, in the first weeks she could only do it in two ways. Or with a pregnancy test urine or through a blood test performed in a health center. The first option is the most common to clear up doubts, as it is more accessible. However, it is not very comfortable. Peeing on the stick without part of it falling into the hand is difficult. The other option is to deposit the urine in a glass and put the test there, but it is not easy either. Therefore, scientists have been looking for more comfortable options.
The human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is the hormone used to detect pregnancy. It is produced in the placenta and can be detected at very early stages of gestation, both in the urine and in the blood. However, it has long been known that it can also be detected in saliva. For this reason, the Israeli company Salignostics has developed Salisticka pregnancy test with saliva that is already on the market in UK and Ireland.
According to reports from the company, before the commercialization, surveys were carried out to find out if women would prefer a pregnancy test with saliva. 68% said yes, while 11% preferred the urine classic and 21% had no preferences. It would be necessary to see if that 68% is maintained knowing that the saliva pregnancy test is slightly less accurate than the urine one. Be that as it may, it seems an interesting option and, of course, much more hygienic.
This is how the saliva pregnancy test works
The saliva pregnancy test works exactly the same as the urine one. That is, by lateral flow. The sample, which is obtained by rotating a swab inside the mouth for 30 seconds, is placed in the analytical unit, where there are antibodies that recognize hCG and bind to it. Thus, it begins to ascend by capillarity through a strip of cellulose, until it reaches the control zone. there, there is antibodies that bind to others that were in the buffer in which the sample is immersed. That is, the union will always occur. Since these antibodies are bound to colored molecules, when deposited in the control zone, a dark streak will appear.
Afterwards, the sample continues ascending to the results zone. In it, there are antibodies that specifically bind to those that recognized hCG. Thus, the colored line will only appear if there is hCG in the sample. Therefore, just as in conventional pregnancy tests or COVID antigen testsif there are two lines the result is positive, if there is only a control line it is negative and if there are none or no control lines appear, the test has not worked properly.
The result is obtained in a time of between 15 and 30 minutes and, although it is observed with those two typical lines, it has a peculiarity that makes it very original: an application that allows Send the result to friends and family. So you don’t have to take photos of the test.
slightly less accurate
From the company, they point out that the accuracy of this saliva pregnancy test is of 96.32%. Some urine tests reach 99%, so it is slightly less accurate. However, as long as they don’t get their hands dirty, there may be those who prefer it. In addition, it is possible that it is still being refined.
Perhaps in the future, urinating on a stick will seem as far away as in the days when the verdict was given by a frog. With the difference that the frog test didn’t work and the urine test is, beyond blood, the most effective we’ve had so far.