To help exclude pregnancy when evaluating a patient for PCOS, which test is appropriate?

To help exclude pregnancy when evaluating a patient for PCOS, which test is appropriate?

• A. Pap smear.
• B. Calcium score.
• C. ESR.
• D. β-hCG test.

Answer: (D)

When evaluating reproductive-age women for PCOS, ruling out pregnancy is essential before proceeding with further assessment or treatments, because pregnancy can explain amenorrhea or irregular menses and changes management. The β-hCG test directly confirms whether pregnancy is present by detecting human chorionic gonadotropin in blood or urine. A positive result means pregnancy must be confirmed and managed accordingly, delaying PCOS-specific workup. If negative, you can safely continue evaluating for PCOS features such as ovulatory dysfunction and hyperandrogenism. The other tests don’t assess pregnancy status: a Pap smear screens cervical cells, a calcium score looks at cardiovascular calcification, and ESR is a nonspecific inflammation marker, none of which reliably indicate pregnancy.

When evaluating reproductive-age women for PCOS, ruling out pregnancy is essential before proceeding with further assessment or treatments, because pregnancy can explain amenorrhea or irregular menses and changes management. The β-hCG test directly confirms whether pregnancy is present by detecting human chorionic gonadotropin in blood or urine. A positive result means pregnancy must be confirmed and managed accordingly, delaying PCOS-specific workup. If negative, you can safely continue evaluating for PCOS features such as ovulatory dysfunction and hyperandrogenism. The other tests don’t assess pregnancy status: a Pap smear screens cervical cells, a calcium score looks at cardiovascular calcification, and ESR is a nonspecific inflammation marker, none of which reliably indicate pregnancy.