Decide how to test. If you want to collect a sample, have a clean cup to hand you can use. If you choose to test directly in your urine stream, make sure you have the test ready to use. A vaginal lubricant and a vaginal moisturizer have different purposes. If you have vaginal dryness, then a lubricant can help prevent discomfort during sexual intercourse. A vaginal lubricant will give you temporary moisture to prevent any friction, but it won’t help resolve the vaginal dryness itself. Many ingredients that show up in your average lube — glycerin, mostly — can either slow sperm down, impede their path to the egg, or outright harm them. Fertility-friendly lubes are formulated to allow sperm to swim freely. The bottom line Use a lubricant by putting it in or around your vagina or on your partner’s penis. Follow the instructions for the lubricant you use for the amount to use. The good news is, there are plenty of vaginal lubricants to choose from. Below are the different types, along with the pros and cons of each so you can find the right one for you. Water-based lubricants

This type of lubricant is generally tasteless and odourless and has a slippery and smooth texture. It usually lasts the longest out of any type of lubricant and doesn’t need to be reapplied as often as a water-based lubricant. Silicon-based lubricants are generally safe to use with latex condoms and hold up underwater as well. Plus, they are hypoallergenic. If you experience vaginal dryness you may experience soreness, irritation, or pain when having sex. Using a vaginal lubricant can help make sex more comfortable. Sandhu RS, et al. (2014). In vitro effects of coital lubricants and synthetic and natural oils on sperm motility.A vaginal moisturiser or a vaginal dryness cream, on the other hand, can help with the everyday symptoms of vaginal dryness, like itching and irritation, but most won’t usually give you the lubrication you need for sex, as it is absorbed into the skin. Instead, a vaginal moisturiser or cream can be used to help ease the symptoms of vaginal dryness day to day. How long you need to wait for the results when using a pregnancy test at home depends on the brand and the test. All Clearblue pregnancy tests have a waiting time of 5 minutes or fewer . Some tests also take the anxiety out of this waiting period by offering you a countdown, or you can try our Rapid Detection Test which can give you a positive result as fast as 1 minute if you’re testing from the day of your missed period, however wait 3 minutes to confirm a negative result. How to read a pregnancy test

A vaginal moisturizer or a vaginal dryness cream, on the other hand, can help with the everyday symptoms of vaginal dryness, like itching and irritation, but most won’t usually give you the lubrication you need for sex, as it is absorbed into the skin. Instead, a vaginal moisturizer or cream can be used to help ease the symptoms of vaginal dryness day to day. Many lubricants can affect sperm motility, and can reduce the sperm’s ability to move effectively, which can affect your chances of getting pregnant during sex. So, if you’re trying to conceive (TTC) the lubricant you use does matter.A healthy vagina secretes natural lubrication to keep the vagina moist and reduce friction during sex. Glands near the cervix produce fluid which changes over the menstrual cycle and provides sperm with a friendly environment during a woman’s fertile period to help conception take place - this is what is known as “ cervical mucus”. This fluid also keeps your vagina lubricated and moist on a day-to-day basis, and its quantity varies depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle. Even if you use a vaginal moisturiser, you may still want to use a vaginal lubricant when you have sex. How to use vaginal lubricants

Use our tool to see when you can take a pregnancy test to understand when you can test. What do I need to know before starting a test It’s one thing to get the test ready, but you may also want to prepare yourself for the results. Know your options if you do not want to be pregnant – there is help out there for you if you get a positive result and you’re hoping the test comes out negative. If you’re trying for a baby, and you get a negative result, don’t worry about it – it’s possible you took the test too early (if it’s before the date you expect your period) so you might want to take another test a few days later. Even if the result is negative, you can increase your chances of conception next month by using an ovulation test to know when your most fertile days are. If you’re anxious about the results, know that you have options no matter what you choose. Make sure you follow the instructionsSimply follow the Clearblue instructions that come with your test, but most tests will have a similar procedure.