1970s

Two things came together in this period along with the so-called sexual revolution: increased research on reproductive health and a heightened desire (brought on by both improved prenatal care and legal abortion) to detect pregnancy as early as possible. Beginning in the 1970s, prenatal care and prenatal testing became more routine in the American health care system. 'A Preliminary screening test for pregnancy,' courtesy of the Food and Drug 

1970

Tests available to doctors and technicians included Wampole’s two-hour pregnancy test. The test could be done as early as four days after a missed period. In the packaging materials, the man pictured performing the test wore a laboratory coat, indicating that it was not intended for home use. Besides the equipment in the kit, (two test tubes, a plastic rack, a bottle of “control solution,” a bottle of “hCG-antiserum” and a bottle of “cell suspension”), testers would need a small funnel and filter paper or centrifuge, clean pipettes or syringes, and saline solution in addition to a urine sample.

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"A preliminary screening test for pregnancy," courtesy of the Food and Drug Administration History Office