Should medications interfere with test
results?
Fertility drugs or other medications
that contain HCG might interfere with home pregnancy test results. However,
most medications, including antibiotics and birth control pills, don't affect
the accuracy of home pregnancy tests.
Could a positive result be wrong?
Although rare, it's possible to get a
positive result from a home pregnancy test when you're not actually pregnant.
This is known as a false-positive.
A false-positive might happen if you
had a pregnancy loss soon after the fertilized egg attached to your uterine
lining (biochemical
pregnancy)
or you take a pregnancy test too soon after taking a fertility drug that
contains HCG. An ectopic pregnancy, menopause or problems with your ovaries
also might contribute to misleading test results.
Could a negative result be wrong?
It's possible to get a negative result
from a home pregnancy test when you're actually pregnant. This is known as a false-negative — and it's much more likely to occur
than is a
false-positive.
You might get a false-negative if you:
·
Not to perform the test the
test too early. The
earlier after a missed period that you take a home pregnancy test, the harder
it is for the test to detect HCG.
·
care
provider for a blood test.
·
Check test results too
soon. Be
sure to give the test time to work. Consider setting a timer according to the package instructions.
·
To Use diluted urine. For the most accurate results, To ask the woman concerned take the test first thing in the morning
— when her urine is the most
concentrated.
What happens next?
Based on your test results, consider
taking the following steps:
·
Your home pregnancy test is
positive, or you've taken a few home pregnancy tests and gotten mixed results. Make an appointment with your health
care provider.
·
·
You might need a blood test or ultrasound to
confirm your pregnancy. The sooner your pregnancy is confirmed, the sooner you
can begin prenatal care.
·
Your home pregnancy test is
negative. If
your period doesn't begin, repeat the test in a few days or one week —
especially if you took the test before or shortly after a missed period.
·
You continue to get
negative test results, but your period doesn't begin or you still think you
might be pregnant.
·
Check
with your health care provider. Many factors can lead to missed menstrual
periods (amenorrhea), including thyroid disorders, low body weight, problems with your
ovaries, excessive exercise and stress.
·
If you're not pregnant, your health care
provider can help you get your menstrual cycle back on track.
Pregnancy Test False Negative
Yet another cycle, and still no big fat positive (BFP). But,
this time you feel differently…like you might, possibly, “pretty please”, be
pregnant.
A little bit of spotting, tender and swollen breasts, a
funky food craving here and there… of course, you know that these early signs
of pregnancy can also be just run of the mill PMS symptoms, but something feels
different this time. Is it possible that the pregnancy test you took produced a
false negative?
The simple answer to your question is: yes, absolutely.
There are at least three reasons
for a pregnancy test false
negative.
1)
Testing too early: Home pregnancy tests work by detecting
the presence of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in your urine.
Following conception, the growing placenta will begin to secrete hCG as soon as
the embryo implants into the wall of the uterus, which occurs approximately 7-10 days post ovulation.
2)
3)
Even though the levels of hCG increase rapidly
in these first days (they will double every 48-72 hours),
if you take a pregnancy test at day 6 or 7 post ovulation, it is highly possible,
even if you have conceived, that you will not yet have enough hCG present in
your urine to get a positive result.
4)
5)
A
negative result in these early days could definitely be a false
negative.
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Test sensitivity too
low: As you probably already know, home pregnancy tests come
in lots of “shapes and sizes.” There are test strips and midstream tests and
digital tests. And, HPTs have different sensitivities as well.
C) How sensitive is the
kit”Some HPTs are highly “sensitive” to hCG and are calibrated to detect
a relatively low amount of hCG, like 20 mIU/ml.
On the other hand, other HPTs have a low sensitivity to hCG and are
calibrated to detect a much higher amount of hCG, 50 mIU/ml or 100 mIU/ml for
example.
A newly pregnant women might have 50 mIU/ml of hCG by 7 days
post ovulation.
If you are just 7 days
post ovulation and you test with an HPT calibrated to detect 100 mIU/ml, the
test will be negative.
Urine too
diluted: Women who drink lots of water and/or urinate
frequently may not realize that they are lowering the amount of hCG that is
detectable in the urine.
If you received a
negative result on a pregnancy test, try testing again using B) insist on first
morning urine, as this will have the most concentrated amounts
of hCG.
Fortunately it is easy to determine if you
were the victim of a pregnancy test false negative. Simply test again in a
couple of days.
For very best results, be
sure to test using first morning urine and a highly sensitive early pregnancy
test.
More Pregnancy Test
Articles
Home pregnancy tests: Can you trust the
results?
Could
you be pregnant? Get answers to common questions about home pregnancy tests.
Taking a home pregnancy test can be
nerve-wracking, especially if you're not sure whether you can trust the
results. Know when and how to take a home pregnancy test — as well as some of
the possible pitfalls of home testing.
When should I take a home pregnancy
test?
Many home pregnancy tests claim to be
accurate as early as the first day of a missed period — or even before. You're
likely to get more accurate results, however, if you wait until after the first
day of your missed period or, better yet, one week after your missed period.
Why wait? Shortly after a fertilized
egg attaches to your uterine lining (implantation), the placenta forms and
produces the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). This hormone enters
your bloodstream and urine. During early pregnancy, the HCG concentration
increases rapidly — doubling every two to three days. The earlier you take the
home pregnancy test, the harder it might be for the test to detect HCG. Keep in
mind that the exact timing of ovulation might vary among women or even from
month to month, and the fertilized egg can implant in the uterus at different
times. This can affect when HCG production begins and becomes detectable.
If it's important to confirm your
pregnancy right away, depending on how far along you are in your pregnancy,
your health care provider might recommend that you have an ultrasound, repeat a
urine test in the hospital or clinic lab, or have a blood test to measure your
HCG.
Are there different types of home
pregnancy tests?
With most tests, you place the end of a
dipstick in your urine stream or immerse the dipstick in a container of
collected urine. A few minutes later, the dipstick reveals the test result —
often as a plus or minus sign, one line or two lines, or the words
"pregnant" or "not pregnant" on a strip or screen.
However, some home pregnancy tests are
more sensitive than others. In other words, in some tests the amount of HCG
needed to be detected in the urine to produce a positive test result is lower.
Clinical Tips :7 :-How best to arrive
definite & correct results:-Always check the test's expiration date and
read the instructions carefully before you take the test.
How accurate are home pregnancy tests?
Many home pregnancy tests claim to be
99 percent accurate.
However, research suggests that many home
pregnancy tests are not sensitive enough to diagnose pregnancy in women who
have recently missed a period. For the most reliable results, wait to take the
test until one week after your missed period.
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