Home pregnancy test kits (PTK) offer a highly reliable alternative to a more costly laboratory visit. By making it accessible and economical, women are now more disposed to use a home test to determine if they are pregnant. The test works by detecting the presence of the hormone HCG in a woman’s urine which is produced when a woman becomes pregnant. PTKs are, on average, 99% accurate, can be used any time of the day, and can detect a pregnancy as early as the first day of a missed period.

In South America, it is common that pregnancies are unconfirmed for the first 90 days owing to the cost, time and inconvenience of a clinic based exam. This delay also accompanies a postponement in beginning adequate pre-natal care which can have an adverse effect on the development of the fetus. In order to improve pregnancy outcomes, PSIA set out to remove the obstacles to pregnancy confirmation.

Resistance to using PTKs often relate to the high probability of coming into contact with one’s own urine and the inconvenience of having to purchase a small, sterile cup for urine collection separately. PSIA has prepared a kit that eliminates these two obstacles. The use of a cassette or encased unit that is packaged with its own cup, in contrast to a stick that a woman urinates on, allows her to collect her urine and use a pipette to draw her urine and apply it to an opening on the cassette in a more sanitary manner.

It will soon be available in Bolivia.