Can I be pregnant if the test is negative. How to determine pregnancy if the test does not show

Many women dream of pregnancy so much that they listen to the slightest changes in their body. A delay in menstruation for at least one day already encourages them to run to the pharmacy for a miracle test that allows you to determine pregnancy at home at an early stage. And what a disappointment when, instead of the cherished two strips, the test shows a negative result. It turns out that one strip cannot guarantee a 100% absence of pregnancy. That is why, in addition to the test, it is necessary to pay attention to other symptoms and indicators that indicate that pregnancy is possible.

How does a pregnancy test work?

Even in ancient times, women noticed that a delay in menstruation can be directly related to pregnancy. In 1350 B.C. came up with a way to confirm or deny the onset of pregnancy. Women urinated on wheat and barley seeds and evaluated the results after a while. If the seeds did not germinate, then pregnancy did not occur. If the seeds sprouted, then one could talk not only about the onset of pregnancy, but also about the field of the future baby (sprouted wheat promised a girl, and barley promised a boy).

In 1963, scientists, after conducting their research, found that such a diagnosis works, and the seeds really germinate faster due to the increased level of estrogen in the urine of a pregnant woman. At the same time, the development of modern tests began.

The first test strips, which allow you to get results relatively quickly, appeared in 1988. Over time, they improved and today they allow to determine the onset of pregnancy with high accuracy within 5 - 10 seconds.

The principle of operation of pregnancy tests is simple. The test reacts to the hCG hormone, which begins to be actively produced in the woman's body from the first hours after fertilization.

On the 12th - 15th day after fertilization, the concentration of this hormone in the urine reaches the level at which the test system is able to determine it.

Just by this time, the woman is already experiencing a delay in menstruation. To carry out the test, it is necessary to make contact of the test strip with urine, collecting it in a separate container or urinating directly on the test system and evaluate the result after a certain time. The instructions say that two strips mean a positive result, and one strip indicates the absence of pregnancy.

Causes of a false negative pregnancy test

The accuracy of readings obtained after using a pregnancy test ranges from 75 - 97%. Thus, the manufacturer himself admits the possibility of both a false positive and a false negative result.

There are various reasons why a woman may get a negative pregnancy test:

The main symptoms of pregnancy

The main symptom that women and doctors mostly associate with the onset of pregnancy is the delay in menstruation. But there are others that may appear even before the expected date of menstruation.

Pregnancy diagnostics

If a woman has a delay in menstruation, other symptoms appear that indicate a possible pregnancy, but despite this, the test stubbornly shows a negative result, then you need to see a doctor and find out why such changes have occurred.

Medicine owns more accurate methods of early diagnosis of pregnancy, which include:

• Blood test for hCG. The fact is that the concentration of chorionic gonadotropin in the blood is much higher than in the urine. In addition, this hormone can be determined in the blood even before the delay, starting from the first day after fertilization. Therefore, it happens that the concentration of hCG in the urine is not enough for a pregnancy test to determine it, while a blood test shows a positive result.
• Ultrasound examination of the uterus. According to the results of an ultrasound scan performed by a transvaginal sensor, it is possible not only to determine the presence of pregnancy, but also to establish its duration and features of development.

A negative pregnancy test is not always a reason to completely exclude it. Women who are not pregnant for the first time may suspect their position much earlier than even the most accurate test determines it. Therefore, you need to take care of your health. Not only the delay in menstruation, but also other visible symptoms, should be suspicious. If you have any doubts, you should consult a doctor, since a false negative pregnancy test can be a signal indicating any abnormalities in the woman's health or the development of pregnancy.

Usually women do a pregnancy test if menstruation should have already begun, but for some reason it does not. If during the cycle there was unprotected intercourse, doubts immediately arise about conception.

Modern diagnostic devices lie extremely rarely, but it happens. Potential future mothers begin to doubt their performance if they notice all the early signs of pregnancy - nausea, breast enlargement, intolerance to certain smells - and the product still betrays only one strip.

Then they begin to worry about the question: can a test show a negative result during pregnancy? Maybe. In gynecology, there is even a special term that describes this situation - false negative. Let's figure out why this happens.

Pregnant or not?

Why is a pregnancy test negative during pregnancy

All pregnancy tests are based on the determination of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the urine. This hormone begins to be produced immediately after conception. It turns out that if the diagnostic device does not detect hCG, it means that it is simply not in the biological fluid. Or the second option - the test itself is faulty or incorrectly used.

Inadequate quality of the test used

A poor-quality test is the most common cause of a false negative result. And it's not always the manufacturer's fault. The product may simply not be stored properly. Therefore, to improve the accuracy of diagnosis, gynecologists often recommend buying and doing two tests from different companies at once.

Expired date

Before opening and using a pregnancy test, you need to see until what date it is valid. It is almost impossible to buy an expired product in a pharmacy. But many women (especially those who plan to conceive) stock up on diagnostic devices for the future. Therefore, it is possible that by the time of use the test will be overdue.

False negative pregnancy test

Errors during diagnostics

In order not to personally encounter a situation where there is a pregnancy and the test is negative, you need to follow the instructions on the package. There are various types of products on the market today. They differ from each other not only in design, price and appearance, but also in the time that the strip must be in direct contact with urine, the number of minutes during which the result is considered correct.

If the test is overexposed in the body fluid or immersed too deeply in it, the result may be a false negative. The same thing happens if, after use and receiving a response, the product is not thrown away, but stored for several hours. Due to prolonged contact with air, the sensitive area of ​​the device may begin to oxidize. Then the second strip, confirming the fact of conception, disappears, or vice versa.

Performing diagnostic testing too early

It also happens that the answer to the question why a pregnancy test shows a negative result is that it is used too early. Women who really want to become mothers are sensitive to their well-being. Sometimes it seems to them that they have signs of pregnancy almost immediately after ovulation, which, of course, cannot be.

The longer the gestation period, the brighter the second strip

Then they start doing pregnancy tests without waiting for the first day of delay. During this period, the concentration of hCG may still be too low for the device to “catch” it. To eliminate this error, you just need to wait a bit and re-diagnose after 3-4 days.

Use of diuretic tablets

In order for a pregnancy test to give a correct answer, urine must be morning. Its first daily portion contains the largest amount of the hCG hormone. But if a woman takes diuretic pills before testing, the body fluid is updated too often. Then it simply does not have the concentration of hCG that the test used can fix.

With this in mind, one day before the diagnosis, you need to stop taking the diuretic.

Diseases of the urinary system

As practice shows, the test can be negative during pregnancy if a woman has any disease of the urinary system, inflammation of the kidneys, a violation of their filtering ability. Then all the products formed as a result of metabolic reactions are retained in the blood, and do not enter the urine. Therefore, although hCG is produced by the body, it is not in the biological fluid.

Kidney failure is the cause of a false negative pregnancy test

To cause a violation of renal filtration, in addition to these, diseases can:

• arterial hypertension;
• atherosclerosis;
• heart failure.

If the mother-to-be has a tumor, has recently had a concussion, or suffers from epilepsy, there may be too much protein in her urine. Then the sensitive zone of the test also sometimes does not recognize the hCG hormone, which means that the result will be negative despite the fact that the baby is already growing and developing in the mother's womb.

Use of hormonal pills

A pregnancy test can be deceiving if a girl is undergoing hormone therapy. Then the ratio of biologically active substances produced by specialized cells of the endocrine glands changes greatly. This leads to a false negative result.

Ectopic pregnancy

Pathologies of pregnancy as the cause of a negative test

Sometimes the fault of a false negative test is the complications that arose after conception. So, for example, if a fertilized egg is fixed outside the uterine cavity, the level of hCG rises more slowly than usual. As a result, there is a delay, and the diagnostic result is negative.

Also very serious anomalies are:

• frozen pregnancy (if the embryo stops growing and dies, the concentration of chorionic gonadotropin begins to gradually decrease);
• poor-quality attachment of the fetal egg to the uterine wall (miscarriage is about to occur);
• chronic placental insufficiency.

In all of these situations, even the most expensive and highly accurate pregnancy test, which has been used properly, can give a false negative result.

If in doubt, you need to visit a gynecologist

Testing after in vitro fertilization

Women who have undergone IVF are always looking forward to the moment when the situation becomes clear - it will be possible to understand whether the embryo has attached. And this is where a pregnancy test helps. It does not matter if the baby was conceived naturally or with the help of modern reproductive technologies. When it begins to grow, the female body immediately starts the process of producing hCG.

So that the study does not lead to a false negative result, it is recommended to conduct it two weeks after embryo replanting. Not earlier. Otherwise, you can get the wrong answer and get upset in vain.

There is no need to worry if a test purchased at a pharmacy gives mixed results. You should go to a medical clinic and take a blood test from a vein. It will help to understand whether to be a replenishment in the family or not.

Pregnancy planning is an important period in a woman's life. And often you want to know about the result as soon as possible. Until recently, pregnancy was defined by signs such as missed periods, morning sickness, and breast enlargement.

But in the case of an irregular cycle, it is difficult to predict the exact date of the onset of menstruation. And bad health and nausea, changes in the body and mood occur in other situations. They are typical, for example, for severe premenstrual syndrome.

Are there reliable methods for determining pregnancy in the early stages?

Definition of pregnancy

There are two methods for determining conception with almost 100% results. This is a blood test for chorionic gonadotropin and ultrasound of the uterus.

Chorionic gonadotropin is a substance that is produced in the body of a woman almost from conception. There are some pathological processes in which it will also occur in the blood, but these are rare cases.

Ultrasound and determination of human chorionic gonadotropin are not routine procedures. They involve going to the clinic, taking blood or waiting for a certain period, which is not always convenient. Sometimes their cost is quite high. It is much easier to use a pregnancy test in the early stages.

Chorionic gonadotropin

If the result of the analysis for chorionic gonadotropin is positive, there is no doubt about the presence of pregnancy. For greater reliability, it is determined after 48 hours, and with a doubling of the result, a normally proceeding pregnancy is confirmed.

Hormonal analysis is informative almost from the first weeks of pregnancy (gestation).

ultrasound

Unlike a blood test, the result of conception with ultrasound can be seen with your own eyes and even determine the heartbeat. Ultrasound practically does not allow dual interpretation. But reliable results of ultrasound are only after a certain period.

As a rule, before the fifth week of gestation, even on the best device, it is difficult to see anything, which is why an ultrasound scan is recommended two to three weeks after the delay in menstruation or the appearance of clear signs of pregnancy.

Pharmacy tests

Modern tests are sold in any pharmacy, and their range is extremely diverse. They can be cheap or expensive, with varying degrees of sensitivity and different applications. Common to all tests are the availability and principle of action. It is based on the detection of the level of chorionic gonadotropin in the urine of a woman - the so-called indicator method.

The indicator can only respond to a certain concentration of the hormone. If the result is positive, then the chorionic hormone is present in the body, and conception has occurred. False-positive qualitative tests cannot be, since they only react to the presence of a certain substance.

Is it possible to have a negative pregnancy test?

Negative analysis

Cases when the test is negative, but there is pregnancy, are not uncommon. On the contrary, it is quite a common situation. Some manufacturers even produce two indicators per package - for re-determination.

But often women use 3-5 tests before they see the desired result. Why can this happen?

How the indicator works

As soon as the level of chorionic gonadotropin reaches a certain level - the threshold - it begins to interact with the indicator substance in the test. This manifests itself in the form of a positive result - the second strip, plus sign or the word "pregnant". The threshold is considered to be a hormone level of 10 mIU / ml and above.

Before this period, the use of analyzers is unjustified, since their result will be negative in any case.

In addition, for home analysis, not blood is used, but urine. And the content of chorionic gonadotropin in it will change - depending on the concentration. The longer a woman has not urinated, the greater the amount of the hormone will be. And vice versa - measuring the hormone level after a recent visit to the toilet will lead to a false negative result.

Reasons for the negative answer

A negative pregnancy test can be due to many factors. Most often this happens for the following reasons:

1. The test was used too early.
2. The discrepancy between the term of conception and the expectations of a woman due to a failure in the cycle.
3. Low sensitivity of the indicator.
4. Wrong use of the test.
5. Poor quality or counterfeit analyzers.
6. Pathologies of pregnancy.

For timely and correct analysis, you need to have a good understanding of how pharmacy tests work, as well as follow the rules for operating test systems. This will avoid erroneous results, save money and prevent the expectant mother from being upset in vain.

Early use of the test

A concentration of 10 mIU / ml is usually 3-5 days before the expected delay in menstruation, provided that the concentration of gonadotropin in the urine is maximum. At this time, only highly sensitive analyzers can determine conception, but the probability of error is still quite high.

If a woman is really looking forward to a positive result, she begins to feel signs of pregnancy almost immediately after intercourse. She may have chest pain and nausea. Why this happens is difficult to explain. Most likely, the principle of self-hypnosis works.

But even with such obvious signs, the test will remain negative until the right amount of the hormone is produced.

It does not make much sense to use a pharmacy indicator before a delay in menstruation. Pregnancy with a negative test is possible, but for a woman it will be an additional reason for unnecessary unrest.

Conception mismatch

Conception does not always coincide with sexual intercourse. It is possible only after a recent ovulation. Fertilization occurs when the male and female gametes meet in the fallopian tube. And this can happen even a week after sex.

With an irregular cycle, delayed ovulation is common. If a woman does not feel its signs and does not measure the basal temperature, she can only determine the time of the release of the egg. And the expected delay in menstruation can be very different from the real one. In this situation, the tests may remain negative for a long time.

Low test sensitivity

Pharmacy analyzers respond to different concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin in the urine. Depending on this, the following types of tests are distinguished:

1. Low sensitive. They will show a positive result only if the hormone content in the urine reaches a level of 25 mIU / ml and above. You need to use them from the first day of the delay in menstruation and collect morning urine for analysis.
2. Medium sensitivity. These indicators respond to the content of gonadotropin in the range of 15-20 mIU / ml. You can check the success of conception with their help 1-2 days before the expected delay. It is desirable to use urine in the morning, although according to the instructions, the analysis can be carried out at any time.
3. highly sensitive tests. These include indicators that capture the concentration of the hormone at 10 mIU / ml. They are used at any time of the day starting from 5-7 days before the expected delay.

The use of low-sensitivity analyzers before a missed period is likely to lead to a false negative result. The same may be the case when the determination of the hormone is carried out in the evening or daytime.

Medium-sensitive tests may show an incorrect result if the menstrual cycle is disturbed - late ovulation, as well as in a situation where a woman has consumed a lot of fluid before analysis, and the concentration of gonadotropin has decreased.

The sensitivity of the analyzers is indicated on their packaging or in the instructions.

Misuse of tests

In order to avoid the most common mistakes in analysis, it is necessary to know why they occur and how to use different types of indicators.

According to their design and method of use, analyzers are divided into the following groups:

• Paper test strips.
• Inkjet determinants of pregnancy.
• Cassette analyzers.
• Electronic devices.

Paper indicators

This is the most budget and affordable option. They are usually low or medium sensitive. For analysis, the paper strip with the indicator end must be dipped into a glass of urine for a few seconds, then put on a flat, dry surface and evaluate the result after three or five minutes.

In the case of clear two stripes on the indicator edge, you can rejoice. If the second strip is not clearly visible, the result is classified as weakly positive and it is recommended to repeat it in a day or two. Most often in such situations, pregnancy is confirmed.

A false negative answer when using paper indicators can be for the following reasons:

1. The strip was lowered into the container with a non-indicating end. Arrows are usually marked on the right side of the test. If the analysis is carried out incorrectly, there will be no changes on the indicator, which can be mistakenly interpreted as a negative answer.
2. The indicator was too little in the urine container. If for some reason the analysis is carried out quickly, in a hurry, a small amount of the hormone will fall on the indicator area, which will lead to unreliable indicators.
3. Evaluation was carried out after 1-2 minutes. This time is not enough for a full reaction of chorionic gonadotropin with an indicator. Sometimes the test is evaluated after a long time - half an hour or more. This can also be the cause of an erroneous indicator.
4. Fuzzy stripe. Sometimes the second strip is much paler than the control. This occurs when the hormone content in the urine is low. And such a result is erroneously interpreted as negative.

Inkjet determinants

These tests are among the most practical. Urine does not need to be collected during this analysis. It enters the indicator area directly during urination. Inkjet tests are highly sensitive and medium sensitive.

Erroneous answers when using them are less common and are mainly associated with incorrect determination of the timing of conception and too early analysis.

A false-negative jet test can be in the case of taking a large amount of liquid the day before and when using diuretics or herbal decoctions with a similar effect.

Also, the answer may turn out to be erroneous if not enough urine has fallen on the indicator area.

Plate analyzers and electronic systems

These are pregnancy determinants that are rarely found in pharmacies. Their cost is quite high, and the probability of error is minimal. But even such expensive analyzers can show a false negative answer. Why is this happening?

Causes of quality test failures are as follows:

• Late analysis.
• Violation of the rules for storage and transportation of tests.
• Expired date.
• Conducting an analysis some time after urination. In the collected urine, substances begin to precipitate, and their concentration changes. Analyzers in this case will show a negative result even with a high content of chorionic gonadotropin.
• Fake analyzer. Unfortunately, counterfeit medicines and tests have recently been encountered quite often.

Pathologies of pregnancy

Pregnancy doesn't always go perfectly. Chronic diseases, constant stress, work load lead to various disorders. There are pathological conditions in which the production of human chorionic gonadotropin is significantly reduced or even stops, despite successful conception.

Most often this happens when the following pathologies occur:

1. Risk of miscarriage.
2. Frozen pregnancy.
3. Ectopic pregnancy.

Risk of miscarriage

Currently, doctors do not recommend keeping a pregnancy in case of a threat of termination in the early stages. But if the child is very desirable for a woman, she must know the symptoms of this pathology in order to avoid miscarriage. You can suspect a threat of interruption by the following signs:

• Drawing pains in the back and lower abdomen.
• Bloody vaginal discharge.
• A negative test with a significant and continuing delay in menstruation.

Frozen pregnancy

Sometimes pregnancy stops in its development. And, although the fetal egg still remains in the uterine cavity and can be seen with ultrasound, the production of chorionic gonadotropin stops. In this case, the analysis will show a negative answer, even if it was previously positive.

A test in dynamics is used if a missed pregnancy is suspected, if a woman has too little time to perform an ultrasound scan.

It is possible to suspect a frozen pregnancy if the symptoms of toxicosis suddenly disappeared, the chest decreased and stopped hurting.

Ectopic pregnancy

Despite the fact that during an ectopic pregnancy, the fetus develops in the early stages, the increase in chorionic gonadotropin is much slower. And the test can remain negative 7-10 days after a missed period.

Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy depend on the stage of its development. If the fallopian tube ruptures, there will be a sharp pain in the lower abdomen or in the side, loss of consciousness due to bleeding into the abdominal cavity is possible. With a developing ectopic pregnancy, the symptoms of toxicosis will persist, but the increase in chorionic gonadotropin, according to the analyzes, will turn out to be too slow or negative. And the ultrasound will not show the fetal egg in the uterus.

The pathological course of pregnancy is not so common and almost never asymptomatic.

Do not worry ahead of time if the test suddenly turned out to be negative. Perhaps it was simply carried out too early. And with repeated analysis, the desired result will not be long in coming.

Is pregnancy possible with a negative test result

A negative pregnancy test is quite common.

Many women planning a child, when conducting a mini-study, received one band as a result. But in fact, they have already developed a new life. So, the test is negative, is pregnancy possible? Yes, it can be. The following are typical examples of such situations.

When Mistakes Happen

There are a number of reasons why a pregnancy test, if it is actually present, can show one line. Here is a list of the most common cases.

Features of the female body. This rather “vague” formulation implies that the body, after conception and in the initial periods of fetal development, produces a very small amount of the hCG hormone (human chorionic gonadotropin), an increased level of which directly indicates the presence of pregnancy. As a result, an insufficiently sensitive test cannot distinguish between a normal and an “interesting” position.

Broken test. If you are embarrassed by a negative test result during pregnancy, but you are almost sure of its presence, it is recommended to make another attempt at an express analysis, or donate blood to determine the level of the hCG hormone. Even if you buy tests in a large trusted pharmacy, there is a chance that the product has been damaged, the terms and conditions of storage have been violated. With a high degree of probability, a poor-quality test will show an unreliable result.

Wrong conduct. A negative test with a delay in menstruation can also be in the case when it was not carried out according to the instructions. Read the manual carefully. If necessary, repeat the home diagnostics again.

Too early. As a rule, tests show a negative result until the moment when the fetus is not fully implanted in the uterine wall. The implantation time can be from 6 to 12 days. There may be some bleeding, which is often mistaken for the onset of menstruation.

Inflammatory processes of the internal genital organs. The presence of tumors, either malignant or benign, can affect the results of the test. Also, inflammatory processes in the ovaries often cause a delay in menstruation. In this case, you may rightly think that you are pregnant, but the test will show a negative result.

The presence of a number of diseases. Malfunctions of the hypothalamus or serious problems with the thyroid gland also affect the results.

How to dispel doubts

Your test is negative, but there is a pregnancy, and you are one hundred percent sure of this. To remove all doubts, it is recommended to visit a doctor. After carrying out simple tests, namely blood sampling to determine the level of the hCG hormone, you can be sure of your situation. After that, in the hospital you will have an ultrasound scan, where on the monitor screen (of course, if you are really pregnant) the fetal egg is clearly visible. And with a period of 4.5 or more weeks, even the embryo and its heartbeat.

Next, the doctor will determine why the test is negative in the presence of pregnancy, and, if necessary, prescribe a number of procedures in order to preserve and normal development of the child. Please note that in most cases this phenomenon is not a cause for concern. It is enough for you to contact a specialist for advice in time.

A pregnancy test is an early diagnostic method based on the detection of specific hormonal markers in a woman's urine. The main such marker is human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG for short. Express testing, thanks to compact and convenient devices, can be carried out at home, which is used by millions of women around the world.

HCG is a special pregnancy hormone that is produced by the cells of the membrane that covers the fetus. It is called "chorion". Chorionic gonadotropin is present in the blood serum of both men and non-pregnant women, but its amount does not exceed 5 mU / ml. After conception occurs, the level of hCG rises sharply. By the end of the first week, it reaches 25-300 mU / ml and will continue to increase further. If, according to a blood test, pregnancy can be detected already on the 6-10th day after the fertilization of the egg, then in the urine the desired concentration of the hormone most often reaches its values ​​​​on the 10-15th day. Although some test manufacturers claim that using their devices, pregnancy can be determined even on the 7th day after conception.

There are several types of rapid tests on the market that allow you to diagnose pregnancy at home.

All of them have different sensitivity to chorionic gonadotropin, ranging from 10 mIU / ml to 25 mIU / ml. Test systems include:

Strip tests or test strips that are impregnated with the reagent. It is an antibody to chorionic gonadotropin that reacts with it and stains the indicator in a bright color. For the study, you will need a portion of urine. If it contains a high level of hCG, then two strips will appear on the test, which indicates pregnancy. If there is no pregnancy, then the strip will be one.

Tablet tests are a paper strip, which is enclosed in a plastic box. It has two windows. A few drops of urine are added to one of them using a pipette. The liquid reaches the reagent applied in a thin layer, and if hCG is present in the urine, then the test result will be positive. It appears in the second window and is represented by two bars. If there is no pregnancy, then only one band will appear - the control one. It is necessary in order to understand that the test is not defective and worked correctly.

Inkjet pregnancy test differs from its "brothers" in form and method of use. The system itself is represented by an elongated plastic cassette, which has a holder and a tip covered with a cap. To conduct a study, the tip of the cap is released and brought under the stream of urine. On a fibrous rod, which has tubules, urine rises up and reaches the reagent. If hCG is present in the urine, the test produces two strips (positive result). If the level of hCG in the urine is low, then the test produces 1 strip (negative result).

Electronic tests operate on the principle of inkjet tests, but the answer is displayed on the digital display that the device is equipped with. Moreover, the result is manifested in the words “pregnant” or “not pregnant”, or in the signs “+” and “-”. Such devices can additionally indicate the gestational age and even recommend the optimal date of conception if it has not yet arrived. Some modern pregnancy tests are connected to a computer via a USB port and display all the information on a monitor.

The most sensitive tests are inkjet devices with or without an electronic scoreboard, and tablet tests.

Why does a pregnancy test show a positive result?

If the pregnancy test shows a positive result, then this means that it has interacted with the hCG hormone in the urine, and the woman is pregnant. This is the most obvious reason why a pregnancy test comes back positive. However, there are exceptions to every rule. Sometimes it happens that the test is positive, and the woman is not pregnant. In this case, we can talk about a false positive result of a pregnancy test. The reasons for obtaining it will be indicated below.

Why does a pregnancy test show a negative result?

If the pregnancy test shows a negative result, then the woman is not pregnant. However, as in the case of a positive pregnancy test result, not everything is so simple.

It is possible that the test gives a false negative result, which can be obtained for a number of reasons:

The test was taken too early. Sometimes a woman, in an effort to quickly find out the result, is in a hurry to conduct a study. In this case, the answer may be negative, not because there is no pregnancy, but as a result of a low level of hCG in the urine. Another situation in which testing is carried out too early is due to the fact that a woman has an unstable menstrual schedule. In her opinion, she is conducting research on the first day of a missed period, but he has not yet arrived. And the conception itself could not occur in the middle of the cycle, but at its end. Therefore, hCG by the first day of delayed menstruation does not reach the level that could be determined using a pregnancy test.

The test can give a negative result in the actual presence of pregnancy when the urine is highly diluted. This can happen if a woman consumed a large amount of liquid during the day, and the study was performed in the evening. Reducing the concentration of hCG in the urine contributes to the intake of diuretics. Therefore, doctors recommend conducting a study in the morning, using the first portion of urine for testing.

If a woman has an ectopic or missed pregnancy, then the test for a long time may show a negative result. The fact is that during a pathological pregnancy, hCG is produced, but in smaller volumes than during a normally developing pregnancy. As a result, the test will still show two strips, but this will not happen in the early stages.

Against the background of diseases of the urinary system, the test result may be negative even with an existing pregnancy, since due to impaired renal function, hCG will not be excreted from the body in the proper volumes.

It is also not necessary to exclude such reasons for obtaining a false negative test result as a breakdown of the device, its improper storage or an expired expiration date. While the main reason for a pregnancy test to be negative is the lack of pregnancy.

When does a pregnancy test give a false positive result?

Sometimes it happens that a pregnancy test shows a false positive result.

This can happen for a number of reasons, for example:

A woman in the body has a trophoblastic neoplasm that produces the hormone hCG (chorionepithelioma, choriocarcinoma). Or it could be, etc.

A false positive test result is also observed if the treated tumor recurs.

Oncological diseases such as colon cancer, kidney cancer, can lead to a false positive result.

With brain tumors or injuries in the pituitary gland, chorionic gonadotropin can be produced in excess amounts.

Another reason for a false positive pregnancy test is a hydatidiform mole. It also belongs to the group of trophoblastic diseases and is characterized by the transformation of the villi of the outer shell of the embryo into cysts.

The test has already expired or the woman has acquired an unusable device. Sometimes tests are simply defective or stored incorrectly. Therefore, before buying, be sure to check the expiration date of the test. It will not be superfluous to ask the pharmacist for a certificate for the device. The integrity of the packaging in which the test is located must not be compromised.

During the study, the woman departed from the instructions. It is possible that the test has been exposed to urine for too long or too little. It is possible that the result was evaluated later than the time indicated in the instructions for use, etc. To minimize the risk of obtaining a positive result against the background of the absence of pregnancy, it is necessary to strictly follow the instructions. It is attached to each device and defines a strict sequence of actions.

The woman has recently had an abortion, miscarriage, or ectopic pregnancy. In each of the three listed cases, the level of hCG in the body will return to normal, on average, in a month. Therefore, during this time, the test result may be positive, despite the absence of an embryo in the uterine cavity.

A woman takes medications that contain human chorionic gonadotropin. They are used to treat infertility. This may be the drug Pregnil, Profazi, Ovitrel, etc. The test in this case does not make sense. Moreover, the result can be positive even after the completion of the therapeutic course, since the components of the drug are not immediately excreted from the body. This will take about two weeks.

Although there are many reasons why a test can show a false positive result, it is extremely rare for devices to make mistakes.

Will the test show a frozen pregnancy?

If a woman has a frozen pregnancy, then the test will show it. Most likely, the result of pregnancy diagnostics will be positive, but it is impossible to determine with the help of a test what kind of pregnancy a woman has.

A positive test result is not a basis for suggesting exactly how a woman develops a pregnancy - normally, or she froze. Only a doctor can help determine this issue.

As for why the test gives a positive result against the background of a missed pregnancy, the answer lies on the surface. The fact is that hCG will continue to be produced by the embryonic membrane, even if the fetus itself has already died.

Education: Diploma "Obstetrics and Gynecology" received at the Russian State Medical University of the Federal Agency for Health and Social Development (2010). In 2013, she completed her postgraduate studies at the NMU. N. I. Pirogov.