The Standard Group Plc is a multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper print
operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The Standard Group is recognized as a
leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key influence in matters of national and international interest.
Would you trust a bathroom product with big life news like telling you if you're going to have a baby?
Some women are resorting to mixing their urine with toothpaste to tell them if they are pregnant or not - even though there is no scientific evidence it works and home tests are readily available at low prices in supermarkets.
The rumour seems to have spread online through various videos, blog posts, websites and forums and has gained more popularity recently.
Google Trends shows the search term 'toothpaste pregnancy test' has seen a steady increase over the last 13 years, meaning more women than ever are buying into the idea their Colgate knows if they're expecting.
Home pregnancy tests are still a safer way of being sure.
Some women are even filming the tests and posting them to YouTube to show what the 'positive' result should look like.
One of the many websites to recommend the technique, explains how the supposed 'test' is meant to work.
It reads: "The toothpaste pregnancy test involves placing a moderate amount of toothpaste on a plate or in a cup and then adding a few drops of the woman's urine to it.
"If the woman is pregnant, the paste should change colours and even froth. If she is not pregnant, the toothpaste's appearance will not change at all.
Pregnancy tests are a much more reliable way of finding out the news.
"The chemical makeup of the paste interacts with a pregnant woman's urine to cause this noted change.
"Women have been using this homemade option for years now with relatively favourable results."
The site does then go on to admit that the toothpaste pregnancy test "has never been formally studied by scientists or doctors" and so it's "difficult to say how accurate the test really is."
Other women have tried similar techniques with sugar or bleach, more 'old wives tales' of DIY pregnancy tests.
If you suspect you might be pregnant, it is not safe to rely on DIY methods like the toothpaste test.
You can buy home pregnancy tests from supermarkets and pharmacies or ask a medical professional for a test, which can be done as early as the day after your missed period.
join