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Digital pregnancy tests have an internal paper test

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Re: Digital pregnancy tests have an internal paper test

#41
I didn't find it mentioned here or in the Twitter thread, but the digital test also keeps track of previous results and alerts you when the scores are ramping up. Of course you could do this manually by keeping all the strips and comparing them but the device makes it a bit easier.

Re: Digital pregnancy tests have an internal paper test

#42
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well...if you’re 20, not at all ready to become a parent, you made a mistake and now you see a faint line-ish line is it really a line is it not just the lighting huh? Yeah then I can imagine being intimidated.

This sounds more like imaginary pregnancy test then real one. The real ones dont do faint line-ish. Also, for christ people, 16 years old were administrating these tests for years now, without there being massive social problem of confused woman. They just somehow managed to do them, even if their school results were very bad. So trying to claim they are somehow difficult to interpret is absurd.

Early on in the pregnancy the hormone levels are low and the line is faint. Obviously no one is saying a dark line is hard to interpret...

Re: Digital pregnancy tests have an internal paper test

#43

Reminds me of that juicer which basically just squeezed a packet and costs hundreds of dollars. Thank god for hackers exposing these shenanigans!

What's the shenanigans? Lots of lab tests run on paper, the skill is in interpreting the result.

> What's the shenanigans?

I think pricing a 20c device for $12, to trick people that since it's digital/more expensive it is more accurate is the shenanigans.

Re: Digital pregnancy tests have an internal paper test

#46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's the shenanigans? Lots of lab tests run on paper, the skill is in interpreting the result.

> What's the shenanigans? I think pricing a 20c device for $12, to trick people that since it's digital/more expensive it is more accurate is the shenanigans.

I just checked on cvs.com, a 2 pack of CVS branded "blue line" style pregnancy tests cost $13.99, a 2 pack of "clear blue" digital tests costs $17.79.

You can buy bulk strips for around 50 cents each, but many people would rather pay for the convenience of peeing on a stick than peeing in a cup and them dipping a test strip in it.

Re: Digital pregnancy tests have an internal paper test

#47

Pregnancy/Motherhood groups are swarmed with the same "can you read this, I think I see a faint line" + photo question every single day because of the cheap tests. The strip results are NOT easy to interpret, because you may still see a faint line on the paper when not pregnant, and it's kind of an important emotional question as some couples have been trying to get pregnant for years. Your OB does you a mercy if the…

Perhaps there should be more examples of positive and negative readings in the paper test’s leaflet? Including photos like those that get posted on forums. I know this wouldn’t solve all cases but seems like it could be helpful for some.

Re: Digital pregnancy tests have an internal paper test

#48

I like the part where it uses the conductivity of pee as the power switch. https://twitter.com/Foone/status/1301709777383292928/photo/1

I also like the part that it has as much CPU power as the original IBM PC but it's literally something you pee on and then throw away!

And then it sits in a landfill for eternity! Imagine how many millions of tiny computers (and batteries - oof) are just sitting in dumps right now. That's the most egregious part for me: this test is exactly the same as the analog one, but it generates eWaste.

Re: Digital pregnancy tests have an internal paper test

#49
post #25

This is basically the definition of plastic waste.

And are people supposed to tear it down and dispose of the battery separately? (the battery is hazardous and has markings indicating it is not to be thrown away).

I guarantee literally nobody removes the batteries before throwing these out. It's a shame, really. I'm sure there are bulkier sources of eWaste, but still. Someone pees on a computer for 30 seconds and then it gets thrown away forever.

Re: Digital pregnancy tests have an internal paper test

#50
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would it be possible to make a paper one have words (such as pregnant/not pregnant) instead of one/two lines?

Have an app that uses the phone camera?

That's not an awful idea, and a step forward from the idea of replaceable strips on a reader that the thread suggests!
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