Pregnancy cannot usually be detected seven days before menstruation, either by checking blood HCG or by testing with an early pregnancy test. Seven days before menstruation the fertilized egg may have only just laid, or even not yet laid, and the HCG in the blood and urine has not yet increased significantly. Women who want to check if they are pregnant can do so one week after their menstrual cycle has been delayed by using an early pregnancy test or a pregnancy test, or they can confirm the diagnosis by checking the blood HCG about three days after their period has been delayed. If a woman wants to check earlier, she can take a blood HCG test about eleven days after the last intercourse, which can also determine if she is pregnant.