In Florida, pregnant people have 6 weeks to make life-changing decision. Why deadline matters

C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

As of Wednesday, May 1, nearly all abortions are illegal in Florida after six weeks. The closest options now for people needing or wanting one are North Carolina, where the limit is 12 weeks, or Virginia or Illinois where there are no laws prohibiting abortion.

But will you know in time? One in three pregnant people won't find out they're pregnant until after six weeks, and one in five won't know until after seven weeks, according to a 2021 study from ANSIRH (Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health) at the University of California San Francisco.

"Later confirmation of pregnancy is even higher among young people, people of color, and those living with food insecurity," the study said. Almost two in three teens between ages 15 and 19 who become pregnant don't find out until six weeks or later.

Florida also requires a 24-hour waiting period, so you'll need two appointments at the state's overcrowded clinics before the deadline. With the new 6-week ban it becomes much more important for people capable of getting pregnant to monitor their own bodies.

How soon can you tell if you're pregnant after sex? How early will a pregnancy test read positive?

According to a clevelandclinic.org post in 2022, "In many cases, you might get a positive result from an at-home test as early as 10 days after conception."

But for a more accurate result, wait until a missed period to take a test. The site warns that "if you take a test too soon, it could be negative even if you're pregnant."

Why is knowing if you're pregnant before six weeks important?

If you've been hoping for a pregnancy, you can't start too early to get ready. You'll need to see your healthcare provider for tests, find out if any of your medications might need to be put on hold, cut out alcohol, caffeine and other substances, start taking prenatal vitamins, figure out your work situation and take other steps to ensure a healthy childbirth.

But if the pregnancy is unwanted or there are medical issues, you now have a very limited time in Florida to get an abortion or to make plans to travel to a state with less restrictive reproductive laws.

About 45% of abortions across the country occur before the sixth week of pregnancy, according to the health news site KFF.

Why don't people know when they're pregnant? Isn't it obvious?

The symptoms can be difficult to spot, especially if you're not trying to get pregnant and paying more attention than usual, and not everyone experiences the same symptoms. Some of the most common reasons to miss it, according to WebMD and the ANSIRH study, include:

  • Pregnancy symptoms can resemble symptoms of approaching menstruation

  • Faith in birth control

  • Cost of home pregnancy tests or difficulty getting to the store, especially for adolescents

  • Reliance on clinic-based tests

  • Unfamiliarity with symptoms, especially people who have never been pregnant before

"People who took an at-home pregnancy test confirmed their pregnancy about one week earlier than those who tested at a clinic," the ANSIRH study concluded.

What are the early signs and symptoms of pregnancy? How soon can you tell if you're pregnant?

Again, everyone is different and there is no reliable way to tell without testing. "Not everyone has the same symptoms or even the same symptoms from one pregnancy to the next," WebMD says, and some of the symptoms can be caused by other things besides pregnancy.

Including missed periods. While that's the most common indication and the reason most people get tested, skipped or late periods can also be due to significant weight changes, hormonal issues, fatigue, stress, or changes in birth control. And bleeding is possible during pregnancy.

Common symptoms to watch for include:

  • Missed period

  • Peeing a lot

  • Fatigue

  • Nausea or "morning sickness"

  • Breasts becoming swollen, sore, heavier or tender to the touch

Other symptoms can include:

  • Spotting and cramping

  • Food cravings or aversions

  • Headaches, back pain and/or dizziness

  • White milky vaginal discharges

  • Mood swings

  • Constipation

  • Nasal congestion

  • Bloating

  • Acne or skin changes

You could have some of these symptoms, all of them or just one or two, and in varying degrees. "Some people feel pregnant within a few days of conception, while other people don’t feel pregnant for weeks after a positive pregnancy test," the Cleveland Clinic said.

Do dogs know when you're pregnant? The unique phenomenon explained by a veterinarian.

How do at-home pregnancy tests work? Are home pregnancy tests accurate?

Pregnancy tests detect the presence of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, which enters your bloodstream and urine after a fertilized egg attaches to the uterine lining (implantation) and the placenta starts to form.

When you bring your pregnancy test home from the drugstore and pee on it or dip it in urine, you'll generally get a control indicator — a line or a symbol — that appears to show it's working, and then another symbol to tell you if you're pregnant.

The Food and Drug Administration regulates home pregnancy tests so if it's sold legally in the U.S., it's reliable, even if you bought it at a dollar store.

Home pregnancy tests advertise 99% accuracy but that can depend on when you take them, according to the Mayo Clinic. Levels of hCG rise drastically after implantation. If you take a test soon after a missed period and it tests negative but you're still experiencing symptoms, wait a few days to a week and try again or ask your health care provider.

Waiting for the line: How accurate are home pregnancy tests and how soon can you take them?

How do I tell when my due date is? Is there a due date calculator?

A typical pregnancy lasts about 280 days or 40 weeks, counting from the first day of the last normal menstrual period, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine, but it can range from 37 weeks to nearly 41.

You can find lots of due date calculators online, including these at the Mayo Clinic and WebMD,

But keep in mind, any due date is an estimation based on a 28-day menstrual cycle and you may need to adjust it if your cycle runs longer or shorter. Your healthcare provider will likely order an ultrasound to get a more accurate idea. Only about 5% of all babies are born on their estimated due date according to WebMD.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Abortion ban: How early for positive pregnancy test, what are symptoms

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