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A pregnancy test is a test used to indicate whether or not a woman is pregnant. Pregnancy tests can sample blood or urine to detect the presence of a certain type of hormone that designates a pregnancy. Urine tests that detect this hormone, called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), usually require a woman to wait at least ten days after missing a menstrual period before testing a urine sample. Blood tests can determine pregnancy slightly sooner, approximately six to eight days after fertilization, or the union of male and female reproductive cells. Home pregnancy tests allow a woman to test for hCG in her urine in her own home. These tests reveal the results through simple symbolic or language-based indicators.