Pregnancy rapid test kits are primarily utilized for the early detection of pregnancy. Fertility rapid test kits aids to find the exact day of ovulation or to confirm menopause in women, while in men, they are utilized to detect the sperm count.
The global fertility and pregnancy rapid test kits market is estimated to be valued at US$ 1,217.5 Mn in terms of value in 2019 and is expected to reach over US$ 1,653.5 Mn by the end of 2027.
Global Fertility and Pregnancy Rapid Test Kits Market
The market is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period that is attributed to the increasing number of first-time pregnancy age. For instance, according to the National Health Statistics Reports, published in July 2018, in 2011–2015, the mean age at first birth among women who had a child was 23.1 and 20% of married women had a first birth at age 30 and over compared to those who were not married, in the U.S.
The first rapid pregnancy test such as the e.p.t Pregnancy Test was launched in the U.S. market over four decades ago when researchers revealed that radioimmunoassay could detect hCG in urine. In 2003, next-generation rapid test devices based on lateral flow immunoassay were launched in the market. However, the same technology is used in current pregnancy and fertility rapid tests, which needs to be enhanced to elude false positive and false negative results of the test.
The market is witnessing a shifting preference of women to mid-stream devices over strips and cassettes. Women are opting to use mid-stream devices over strips and cassettes due to ease and convenience of use. Cassettes are least preferred by most of the users due to trouble in using droppers to add an accurate quantity of sample to the sample well.
Physicians often recommend women on fertility treatment or contraception therapy to check levels of reproductive hormones such as luteinizing hormone and estrogen levels using the home fertility and pregnancy testing kits. Women tend to use the tests multiple times to confirm the test results.
Conventional line indicator devices and strips for fertility or pregnancy testing are rapidly being replaced by digital devices, attributed to the difficulty in interpretation of test results in the case of line indicator devices.