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Can A Pregnancy Test Be Wrong? Complete Guide

A commercial pregnancy test is the easiest way to find out about the status of your pregnancy. Can A Pregnancy Test Be Wrong is something that almost every woman who is doubt prefers taking at home to calm down their anxiety.

Women who are trying to pregnant find it as easy to check the result, and even women who are avoiding being pregnant relies on a pregnancy test to keep a check. In any case pregnancy test is taken if a woman is in doubt or has missed their mensuration or if they are feeling early signs of pregnancy like, nausea, bloated abdomen, early morning sickness, fatigue, frequent urge to pee, and likewise.

Can A Pregnancy Test Be Wrong?

Can A Pregnancy Test Be Wrong
Photo Credit: WebMD

The reliability of a Soap Water Homemade Pregnancy Test is high but at the same time sometimes it gets a little difficult to find the right pregnancy test. A pregnancy test can give you the wrong result it can be both ways it can show you the false result of both negative and positive pregnancy.

Now, let’s talk about why and how this happens.

What can interfere with a pregnancy test?

Sometimes pregnancy test result indicates nothing at all, it shows the invalid result. In this case, the test result is false and you need to take it again.

Reasons:

  1. Defective pregnancy test kit

A pregnancy test can be defective or broken at the time. In such a case, it will not show you any result. The defective kit does not conduct the test properly hence result is also invalid.

  1. Expired pregnancy test kit

A pregnancy test kit that is expired will show you the invalid result. Expired kit’s hCG strip antibodies are of no use. Once the hCG strip’s shelf life is over then it will not work in a proper way.

  1. Defected in hCG strip

Even if the kit is not defected or expired then sometimes the hCG strip is not placed properly this can cause false pregnancy results. hCG strip can be folded sometimes and does not come in proper contact with high-level hCG in urine.

  1. Refrigeration

No, all test kit is made to be refrigerated. Those test kit who can be refrigerated is designed differently. Refrigeration of pregnancy test kit can cause hardening of hCG strip thus it might crack

  1. Positioning of strip

Holding strip if immersed for a long time in urine then it can give you false test result.  Holding of strip upside down can cause the wrong result. Touching the hCG directly with the hand can damage it. Reading a result after a designated time can also cause a false result.

  1. Urine Sample

A morning urine sample is the best sample to check the pregnancy. Using a urine sample of the late day can indicate a false result. Morning time is the recommended time to check the pregnancy.

What Can Cause A False Positive On A Pregnancy Test?

Most of the time we believe that most of the time negative results can be false. Besides that, even a false-positive test is a thing.  It is the test result that shows that you are pregnant but it is a false result. That is why it is important to see the doctor get confirmation on the pregnancy.

Reasons for pregnancy test saying positive and be wrong

  1. PCOD

If you are suffering from PCOD chances are high of getting a false-positive result. PCOD, polycystic ovary syndrome means there are cysts in the ovaries. These cysts created hormonal issues and do not let ovaries function properly. Cyst in ovaries sometimes produces hCG and shows the false-positive result.

  1. Prescriptions

Some medicine can show false-positive results. Medicine like Rifampin for Tuberculosis, sulfasalazine, and Pyridium prescribed in the case of UTI make the urine red and orange thus giving a false indication of positive pregnancy. Some other medicine increases the basal hCG production, all those medicines which increase frequent urination can indicate false pregnancy result on the test.

  1. Chemical pregnancy

It is a condition when women conceive in an unnatural way and are not able to retain the pregnancy. In such cases, hCG is produced but women are no longer pregnant. Increased hCG will indicate the wrong false result.

  1. IVF or infertility therapies

Infertility treatment requires a shot of ovulating hormones which cause superovulation. This might increase the hCG level showing the false-positive result.

What Can Cause A False Negative on a Pregnancy Test?

There are many factors that can show you the false negative result. It means that you are pregnant but your kit indicating that you are not. Always make sure that you repeat a test at least once more and a check-up done for the doctor before confirming anything.

Reasons For Pregnancy Test Saying Negative and Be Wrong

  1. Low hCG levels

If you take a test too early the hCG level in your body is low this can indicate a false negative result. HCG grows in later stages. This early pregnancy can only be detected by a lab test.

  1. hCG production can below

Sometimes there could be a physiological problem in the production of hCG. Every individual produced hCG at a different rate. Usually, hCG doubles itself every 48 hours but there could be a possibility that hCG sometimes does not grow at this rate. This situation cab indicates false negative pregnancy.

  1. Chemical Pregnancy

Women conceiving unnaturally can be short-lived at times. These chemical pregnancies can indicate negative result if the means used to detect is not good.

  1. Human errors

Touching the strip, pacing it in the wrong position, wrong interpretation can all become the cause of false pregnancy.

How to Avoid Getting the Wrong Result?

  • Always use a reliable and branded test kit.
  • Try and conduct the test with a morning urine sample.
  • Follow the exact instruction written on the kit.
  • Always use kit multiple kits of different brands.
  • Take the test twice to be sure about the result.

Conclusion

We say that no matter whatever kit you use, make sure that you see the doctor. There can be various reasons for not getting the desired result.

Only your doctor can confirm the exact result so no matter whatever the case is if you have prolonged signs of pregnancy make sure to take professional help.

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