Pregnancy tests are available at the majority of supermarkets and pharmacies, but some women are using an alternative method to check if they’re expecting, without leaving their bathroom.
The “toothpaste pregnancy test” is a cheap, DIY method gaining popularity and it’s just as bizarre as it sounds.
To conduct the test, women mix a small amount of their urine with some toothpaste in a dish.
Advocates of the test claim that if a woman is pregnant, the toothpaste will change colour and sometimes froth.
If the woman is not pregnant, the toothpaste will remain unchanged.
It may sound far-fetched, but there’s been a recent spike in people searching “toothpaste pregnancy test” on Google, suggesting a growing number of women may be giving it a go.
There’s even a multitude of YouTube tutorials demonstrating how to do the test.
But Stuart Gale, owner and chief pharmacist at Oxford Online Pharmacy, said the test shouldn’t be taken too seriously and is not an accurate way to detect pregnancy.
“This is a bit of fun for anyone who thinks they might be pregnant,” he told HuffPost UK.
“The fizz in the toothpaste is caused by the acid in the urine reacting with the calcium carbonate in the toothpaste to give off carbon dioxide.
“The more acidic the urine is, the greater the fizz. Whether or not a person is or isn’t pregnant wouldn’t make any difference.”
Gale added that regular pregnancy tests are 99% accurate, if used properly.
“Even if the ‘toothpaste test’ does appear to be ‘positive’ I would strongly recommend that any possible mum-to-be gets official confirmation of the fact that they are indeed pregnant with a proper pregnancy test,” he said.
According to NHS Choices, you can buy a pregnancy test to use at home from a supermarket or pharmacy, or you can ask for a test at:
- Contraception clinics.
- Sexual health clinics/ GUM clinics.
- Some GP surgeries.
- Most NHS walk-in centres (England only).
Except for some pharmacies and in supermarkets, pregnancy tests are usually free and are confidential, even if you’re under the age of 16.
Have you ever used the toothpaste pregnancy test? Let us know in the comments below.