If you think you might be pregnant, a pregnancy test is the best way to find out. You can also go to your doctor or nurse, a midwife, a Family Planning clinic, your school health service or Student Health to find out if you are pregnant.
Early signs of pregnancy
There are a number of common signs that you might be pregnant. Signs that you might be pregnant include:
- missing your period or lighter bleeding than normal
- tiredness, dizziness, fainting, headaches or loss of interest in sex
- morning sickness (some women experience this at any time of day) – sometimes increased saliva
- breast changes – soreness, tingling, swelling or ‘fullness’
- needing to go to the toilet (wee/mimi) more often than usual.
Finding out if you’re pregnant
Home pregnancy tests are very reliable and will give you a result within a minute or two. The best time to take a pregnancy test is 1 week after you miss your period. This is because the tests look for hormones in your wee/mimi. It takes about 2 weeks for these hormones to show up. Make sure that you follow the instructions on the box as each test works differently.
You can get a pregnancy test from:
- a pharmacy
- a supermarket
- your doctor or nurse
- a midwife
- a Family Planning clinic
- your school health service
- a Student Health clinic
- a sexual health clinic.
Tests are usually free from a midwife or sexual health clinic. They may also be free from your doctor or nurse if you are pregnant (you may be charged if the test shows that you are not pregnant).
Your choices
Finding out you are pregnant is different for everyone.
If you are pregnant, there are different options available to you:
- parenting – either with a partner or alone
- adoption or foster care
- abortion – a safe procedure that intentionally ends a pregnancy.
You might know which option you would like to choose, or you might find this decision more difficult or complex. If you are pregnant and are not sure whether you want to continue with the pregnancy, there is support available for you. You can contact a health practitioner to discuss your options, including continuing a pregnancy or abortion, and to access counselling that is unbiased and non-judgmental.
For more information on abortion services, go to Considering an abortion.
