CheckToP test kit

In an early medical abortion you're given 2 medicines to end a pregnancy.

• The first is mifepristone. It ends pregnancy by blocking the effects of progesterone.
• The second is misoprostol, which is taken 24 to 48 hours later. It causes your cervix to soften and your uterus to contract to expel the pregnancy.
• Read more about medical abortion.

3 to 4 weeks after taking these medicines,  you can do a CheckToP urine test at home, to confirm that the medicines have worked. The test checks for the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). hCG is a hormone made by your body when you’re pregnant and it decreases after a pregnancy is over. 

Where can I get a CheckToP test kit?

The test kit may be included in your medical abortion pack or you will get a prescription to collect a CheckToP test kit from your pharmacy.

• If you don’t receive a CheckToP test, or prescription, contact your healthcare provider.
• Don't use a regular pregnancy test as it won't give you an accurate result. Read more below about how the CheckToP test is NOT the same as a home pregnancy test.

Timing – when to do the test

This test must be done 3 to 4 weeks after the abortion pills were taken.

• If you test too early (before 21 days), your hCG level could still be high. This may lead you to think the medicine hasn't worked and you're still pregnant.
• If you test too late (after 28 days), you'll delay extra care and support if the medicine hasn't worked and you're still pregnant.
  
  

Use the chart below to record the dates you took each medicine

This will help you remember when to do the test.

Image credit: Healthify He Puna Waiora

How to do the test

Remove the test stick from the aluminium foil pouch. The CheckToP test stick has a test window, control window, absorbent tip and a cap.

1. Do the test in the morning when your urine is more concentrated (stronger).
2. Remove the cap from the stick.
3. The stick has an absorbent tip; the tip must be in contact with your pee for 5 to 10 seconds to work.
4. You can pee directly onto the absorbent tip of the stick, or you can pee in a clean, dry container and then dip the stick in for 5 to 10 seconds.
5. It’s important you don’t get any urine in the windows. This could affect the result. 
6. Replace the cap on the stick.
7. Lay the stick on a dry flat surface with the window facing up.

Reading your results

After peeing on the stick, wait between 5 to 10 minutes to read the test results. Reading the results too soon won't give you an accurate result.

Important: The CheckToP test stick has 2 windows – a test window (larger window) and a control window (smaller window). Before the test, both windows are blank.

Image credit: Healthify He Puna Waiora

Contact your healthcare provider:

• If the kit shows 2 lines it means you're still pregnant.
• If there is no line in each window, OR there is 1 line in the test window (larger window) it means the results are inconclusive (unclear), and you need to do another test.

When it's done correctly, the CheckToP test is very reliable (99%). However, if the test result shows you're not pregnant but you have any of the symptoms below, you should contact your healthcare provider.

Contact your healthcare provider if  you have the following symptoms

• you have no bleeding or limited bleeding after taking misoprostol (the second medicine)
• you feel sick (nausea)
• you have tender (sore) breasts
• your tummy is growing
• you haven't had a period and it's been 4 to 6 weeks since you took the medicines. Your period usually comes within 4 to 6 weeks of an early medical abortion. 

No, CheckToP is NOT the same as a home pregnancy test, although they may look the same. 

Both tests detect hCG in your urine (pee) BUT they have different sensitivity.

• After an early medical abortion, your hCG begins to drop slowly. It can take 4 to 6 weeks before it's fully cleared from your system.
• The CheckToP test is a low sensitivity test – this means the test won't detect hCG levels lower than 1000 mIU/mL.
• A regular pregnancy test is a high sensitivity test. It can detect hCG levels lower than 1000 mIU/mL.
• If you use a home pregnancy test after a medical abortion, you might get a positive test result when the treatment is successful and you're not pregnant (a false positive).

After an early medical abortion, it's important to use a CheckToP test kit rather than a regular home pregnancy test.