Can the test be wrong? Can a pregnancy test be wrong? How often are pregnancy tests wrong? Why does a false negative pregnancy test occur?
Every woman planning a child will be interested to know whether the test may not show pregnancy. If your health is good, no drastic changes have occurred recently, and you got a valid test, then there shouldn’t be an error. However, life is not the most stable thing, and circumstances do not always coincide well. Therefore, samplers can indeed make mistakes. But in what cases?
Test and its use
Marriage
No factory can guarantee 100% serviceability of its products. Manufacturers of pregnancy tests are no exception.
Such products can be easily damaged during transportation or storage. Often mothers themselves violate instructions. Increased air humidity, temperature changes, impacts on a hard surface - even individually, these are enough to make the test unusable. Another common reason is expired. To avoid getting into an unpleasant situation, it is better to immediately remember a few simple rules:
- buy tests only in pharmacies (not in markets or online stores);
- check the production date immediately, before calculating the purchase;
- throw away old samples purchased the year before;
- pay attention to the appearance of the products - the presence of cracks, stains, bends and similar defects;
- read the storage rules described in the instructions;
- do not trust the cheapest tests;
- For reliability, use several products of different brands.
Violation of operation
Often women are so worried about the result that they do not consider it necessary to read the instructions for use before starting the procedure. This approach often ends up with a false indicator. The most common mistakes:
- overexpose or, conversely, do not keep the test in the urine long enough;
- completely dip the probe into the container with urine or wet only the edge of its tip;
- touch the indicator with your fingers, wipe it, touch the toilet with it, or do something like that;
- shake the test to “speed up” getting an answer, carry it with you instead of putting it on a flat surface and wait;
- use the same product more than once;
- turn over and hold the body with the tip up, not down (for inkjet and electronic);
- focus on the result after the waiting time specified in the instructions (after an hour or even a day, the strip may disappear/appear).
Reading the instructions is not a convention, but a necessity, especially since the instructions for different tests can differ radically.
Inappropriate urine
Most tests require exactly morning urine, especially in the early stages. In the daytime or evening, the concentration of hCG, the “pregnancy hormone”, to which product indicators react, decreases. A test done in the afternoon will not be reliable.
Urine can be stored in the refrigerator for 24 hours, tightly closing the jar with this substance. At room temperature, after just a few hours the liquid loses some of the properties necessary to determine pregnancy.
Another problem is the presence of organic substances in the tested urine. If the container with it was in a dusty place or it itself was not clean, this will also be reflected in the indicators. Even water getting into the container can distort the actual result. It is very important to ensure that the container is sterile and dry before use.
You should not eat or drink before the procedure. It also affects the level of hCG in the blood and urine.
Late use
Even the most sensitive tests will not show pregnancy earlier than 7-10 days after intercourse. To be sure, it is better to wait for 1-3 days of delay and then go through the procedure.
Inkjet tests are usually the most sensitive. And yet, the main indicator of increased susceptibility of the indicator to hCG is the 10 mIU/ml mark on the package. Such a product can detect pregnancy even a couple of days before the delay. The rest begin to show correct results only after a couple of days of absence of the expected menstruation.
Cycle Features
Late ovulation
As a rule, ovulation occurs approximately in the middle of the menstrual cycle. However, sometimes it shifts by several days. In women with a regular cycle, the egg may be released 1-3 days later. For those whose menstrual schedule is irregular, ovulation is sometimes delayed by a week. In rare cases, it occurs even on the first day of menstruation. However, a delay in the ovulatory process for more than 10 days is considered pathological and indicates health problems.
If ovulation actually occurred later than usual, the test will begin to show correct results at approximately 5-7 days of delay.
Delayed implantation
Normally, transportation of a fertilized egg to the uterus and attachment of the embryo to its wall takes 7-10 days. But sometimes failures occur, then the whole process takes even more time.
It is fair to say that such cases are quite rare and are not considered a common cause of “late” pregnancy.
Hormonal disbalance
Stress, illness, changes in climate, diet, and activity cause hormonal imbalance. And while the woman’s body tries to cope with the raging hormones, the test will begin to show uncertain results:
- one day - positive, another - negative;
- false positive;
- false negatives;
- indeterminate, when the second stripe is barely visible;
- Some tests show pregnancy, some do not.
Anomalous processes
Diseases of internal organs
The body is a single system. If one organ does not function properly, it will affect other parts of the body. The test will most likely not show pregnancy if a woman has serious or chronic problems with:
- heart;
- vessels;
- kidneys;
- pituitary gland;
- urinary tract.
These complications inhibit or greatly reduce the production of hCG. An increased amount of protein in the urine also distorts the performance of pharmacy tests.
Pathology
This category of cases may be completely asymptomatic, but that is why it is dangerous. If a woman has had unprotected intercourse, and the tests stubbornly show one line, she should definitely see a doctor. Especially if she begins to feel severe or sharp pain, notice unusual discharge or an increase in temperature above 37.5 ° C. Possible reasons:
- ectopic pregnancy (often tests still show no results);
- frozen pregnancy;
- risk of miscarriage;
- abnormalities in fetal development;
- problems with the formation of the placenta;
- incorrectly or poorly attached embryo.
In order not to be tormented by guesses whether the test may not show pregnancy, if the results are questionable, it is highly advisable to visit a gynecologist. A doctor and a laboratory test for hCG will determine what a pharmacy test cannot show. It is better to secure yourself with expert advice than to suffer from ignorance and uncertainty.
Every woman should experience the happiness of motherhood in her life. After all, having children is her main purpose in life. Unfortunately, not everyone manages to get pregnant the first time. Therefore, a pregnancy test often becomes the main companion of those representatives of the fair sex who dream of a child. If you don't know, quickly consult your gynecologist. Of course, there are many ways to determine pregnancy, both the most ancient and the most modern. Some still walk through tall grass at dawn, while others resort to modern medicine. A pregnancy test can rightfully be called the most popular means of identifying new life in the female body. What is the principle of its operation based on? How much should you trust the result? Should you limit yourself to one test? and in general: can a pregnancy test be wrong?
Principle of operation
Before looking for an answer to the question of whether a pregnancy test can be wrong, it is worth getting acquainted with the principle of its operation. So, most of the models on the market are based on the principle of determining the hCG hormone in female urine. Rest assured, as soon as conception occurs, the level of this hormone will reach unimaginable limits, which is why it will simply be impossible not to notice it. The hormone is produced by the future placenta and enters the urine. Most often, the amount of the hormone is very tiny, but this is quite enough to determine pregnancy. So ? At least 6-9 days must pass from the moment of fertilization. At this time, the fertilized egg begins to attach to the walls of the uterus, and a new life begins to develop in it.
Normally, the level of the hCG hormone in the fairer sex does not exceed 5 MIU/ml. Already 7 days after conception, it can increase to 25 MIU/ml. The so-called test system is responsible for the result. Namely, a special reagent, most often represented by antibodies to hCG, is applied to a certain area of the test. Each test contains a diagnostic and control zone. If there is pregnancy, those same antibodies come into contact with the woman’s urine, appearing in the form of a pinkish-red stripe in the diagnostic zone. If a woman is not preparing to become a mother, then this strip will not appear at all. The control zone is the second level of diagnostics. The control zone reagent uniquely reacts to urine in the form of a strip. Thus, two lines on the test indicate that a woman is pregnant. Are pregnancy tests often wrong? This question actually worries everyone without exception. Perhaps this is why girls stock up on tests from various manufacturers so that the result in the end is reliable.
What is the probability of error
In searching for an answer to the question of whether a pregnancy test can be wrong, it is necessary to consider the most common types. Admittedly, some associate the likelihood of error with the cost of the test itself. How true is this assumption? Maybe you shouldn’t overpay for the same efficiency and effectiveness? Can a pregnancy test be wrong twice?
Test strips are the cheapest and most common way to diagnose pregnancy. To carry out the analysis, it is necessary to place the test strip in a container with urine, and to the level indicated on it. After the specified period of time has passed, the strip is removed from the container, after which you can begin to evaluate the result. Can a pregnancy test strip be wrong? In this case, everything depends to a greater extent on the accuracy and strict sequence of performing the necessary actions, that is, the endurance of the test, the level of its immersion in a container with urine.
Tablet pregnancy tests- an improved version. Looking for an answer to the question of whether an electronic pregnancy test can make mistakes, pay attention to the subtleties of its use. The likelihood of error, as many experts say, in this case is minimized. Just one drop of urine applied to the test itself is enough, and the result will not take long to arrive. But even in this case there were difficulties. Unfortunately, the modern medical industry has not reached the highest level of its development, so it is almost impossible to find such tests in an ordinary pharmacy in a small town, and they are quite expensive. By the way, an important note is to carry out the ritual in the morning. The fact is that it is in the morning that the concentration of the hCG hormone is maximum. These tests are quite sensitive, they react to changes in the level of the hCG hormone up to 10-15 MIU/ml, which is why they can detect pregnancy at an early stage.
Still worried about whether they're wrong digital pregnancy tests? We would like to draw the attention of all modern mothers to inkjet tests, which outwardly resemble the just mentioned tablet ones. Inkjet tests currently demonstrate the highest performance. In this case, the woman does not have to first collect urine and drop the test onto the window. Simply place the test under a stream of urine and wait a few minutes. The accuracy of the result is the highest, which, of course, affects the cost.
False positive and false negative results
Can a negative pregnancy test be wrong? It must be admitted that a false negative result, that is, when there is a pregnancy, but the test for some reason cannot diagnose it, is much more common. Speaking about the reasons for this, first of all I would like to note the rush of potential mothers. They are so impatient, they want to get the result as soon as possible, so without waiting for a delay, they run to the pharmacy for a test. It was already mentioned above that it makes sense to talk about increasing the hCG hormone only after 7-8 days from the moment of conception. In addition, the level of the hormone in the blood is much higher than in the urine, which is the basis for the test. Speaking about other reasons why a pregnancy test can be wrong, it should be noted: - abuse of diuretics, which rid the body of toxins - after all, a significant amount of hormones can also be released along with them;
- renal failure, some diseases of the genitourinary and excretory systems;
- threat of miscarriage - in this case, the level of the hCG hormone may sharply decrease;
- frozen pregnancy.
- recent birth - a positive result can be observed within several weeks after birth, no matter how it happened;
- miscarriage, development of ectopic pregnancy;
- trophoblastic tumors that develop in the female body;
- hormonal preparations enriched with hCG.
Can two pregnancy tests be wrong? Indeed, almost all women use several tests for greater reliability. So, can a pregnancy test be wrong in both cases? The possibility of error cannot be excluded. Other reasons that can influence the reliability of the result include:
- low quality of the test used - budget test strips are most often characterized by errors. Due to low quality, the strip from the control zone can smoothly flow into the diagnostic zone;
- defective test - most often, important information is indicated on the packaging: if there are no lines, consider the test to be defective. Unfortunately, only a few pay attention to it.
- failure to comply with storage conditions;
- failure to comply with certain rules of use;
- the content of excess protein in a woman’s urine - the active component of the test strip contains protein compounds, so it can be assumed that in this case the result may be distorted.
May be wrong. Moreover, a pregnancy test error can be caused by completely different factors. Most often, errors are caused either by incorrect use of tests, or by application too early, when the sensitivity of the system does not allow detection of pregnancy. However, there are a number of pathological conditions in which the level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood and urine increases. And since the pregnancy test is based precisely on determining the increased concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin, then, in such a situation, it will simply be mistaken, showing a positive result.
The entire range of pregnancy test errors is divided into two large categories - false positive and false negative results. False positive results indicate pregnancy in a non-pregnant woman. And false-negative errors, accordingly, do not detect a woman’s pregnancy when in fact she already has one.
False-positive results, as a rule, are caused by various diseases accompanied by an increase in the level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood and urine of a woman, for example, tumors of the genital organs, kidney pathology, etc. Therefore, if a false positive pregnancy test result is detected, it is recommended to undergo an additional in-depth examination. And false negative results are usually associated with improper use of the test, too short a pregnancy, or poor-quality urine.
In general, pregnancy test errors may be due to the following causal factors:
- The gestation period is too short. When using tests with a sensitivity of 20 - 25 IU/l, pregnancy can be determined no earlier than the 15th day from the moment of expected conception. And when using tests with a sensitivity of 10 IU/l, pregnancy can be determined from the 7th day from the moment of expected conception. Thus, if a test with a sensitivity of 20 - 25 IU/l is used before the 15th day from the moment of conception, it will show a negative result and be mistaken. Accordingly, a test with a sensitivity of 10 IU/l will also show a negative erroneous result if it is used before the 7th day after sexual intercourse. A period of time of at least 15 and 7 days after sexual intercourse for tests with a sensitivity of 25 IU/l and 10 IU/l, respectively, must be observed regardless of the period of delay of menstruation, since sexual contact leading to conception could have occurred 2 - 3 days before the start of your next period. For example, a woman could become pregnant 2 days before her period, and then a test done on the 3rd day of missed menstruation will show a negative result, which will be erroneous because the gestational age is too short and the sensitivity of the system is insufficient to determine it;
- Poor urine quality. For the test, only morning urine should be used, since it contains the maximum concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin, on the basis of which pregnancy is determined. In daytime urine, the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin may be low and therefore insufficient for a positive pregnancy test. This is why when using daytime or evening urine for a pregnancy test, it may be wrong;
- Incorrect use of the test, such as evaluating results too early or late, or applying urine incorrectly, etc. That is why you should strictly follow the instructions for using the pregnancy test;
- Kidney pathology. Against the background of kidney disease, too little human chorionic gonadotropin may enter the urine, as a result of which the test will give a negative and, therefore, erroneous result;
- Pathology of pregnancy. Thus, against the background of an ectopic pregnancy or threatened miscarriage, the level of human chorionic gonadotropin may be reduced, as a result of which the test may show a negative erroneous result;
- Weak attachment of the fetus to the wall of the uterus. In this case, there is pregnancy, but too little human chorionic gonadotropin is produced. In such a situation, the pregnancy test result will be negative and erroneous;
- Taking medications intended to stimulate
Pregnancy is a special condition for a woman that she expects or fears. You can dispel doubts at home. Special tests were specially created for this purpose. After receiving a questionable result, it is worth thinking about whether a pregnancy test can be wrong? How often does it crash? Let’s say right away that this is not uncommon, so you shouldn’t immediately panic and take his testimony for granted. In any case, only a specialist will be able to diagnose or refute an interesting situation in a woman.
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Causes of errors
Pregnancy tests have a special operating principle. It is preserved regardless of brand and cost. Strip reacts to the content of hCG in the urine.
This hormone begins to be intensively produced if the fetus develops inside the mother’s womb. Every day the hormone content becomes more and more.
Based on these data, we can draw a conclusion about in what cases a pregnancy test will be incorrect. An error is allowed if the check is performed too early.
Even if pregnancy has occurred, the possibility of error remains. That is why it is recommended to re-check in a couple of days.
However, there are other circumstances why a pregnancy test may be wrong. When performing a check, it is also recommended to take them into account:
- Insufficient accumulation of the hCG hormone in the urine in early pregnancy.
- If a woman is at risk of premature termination of pregnancy, the test may not respond.
- The principle of cheap tests completely coincides with expensive options. In the second case, the woman only overpays for the packaging. However, a low-quality and untested manufacturer may offer its customers a bad product.
- When purchasing a test you should pay attention to the expiration date.
- During the inspection, the woman neglected the basic rules. Experts advise using only morning urine. It collects the largest amount of the hCG hormone.
- If you recently had an abortion, the test may still be positive.
- A positive result may be false if a woman has a hormonally dependent cyst. At one time, a negative result is observed in the presence of pathologies in the functioning of the kidneys.
- In pharmacology, there are also drugs whose effect significantly increases the content. That is why the test will be indicative only if more than two weeks have passed since their discontinuation.
Note! Before purchasing a sample at a pharmacy, you must carefully familiarize yourself with the entire range. Each test has a number of advantages and disadvantages.
The probability of a pregnancy test error is reduced to zero if you adhere to a number of simple rules. Before use, you should carefully read the instructions. To obtain a 100% result it is necessary to carry out several checks at intervals. As a rule, after three results you can get a complete clinical picture.
Types of Home Research
The likelihood of an error in a pregnancy test is noticeably reduced if you follow a number of recommendations when conducting it:
- As the main material for research It is best to use morning urine. A pregnancy test may be wrong if a similar manipulation is carried out with the daytime version. The maximum amount of hCG can be detected only if all necessary manipulations are carried out immediately after sleep. Thanks to this, it will be possible to recognize pregnancy much earlier.
- The quality of the study will deteriorate significantly if you drink a large amount of liquid beforehand. In this case, the concentration decreases.
- Can an electronic pregnancy test lie? Such cases are recorded if the woman has not washed herself first. That is why you should perform such a simple procedure in the morning.
- Before starting all manipulations, you should read the instructions carefully.
- Yes or no, only the test whose expiration dates are fully observed shows correctly.
Important! For women today, it is not difficult to find a wide range of ways to determine pregnancy at home. Whether a positive or negative test can be false, we already know. Its result depends only on the content of the hormone in urine. The attending physician can reliably confirm or deny pregnancy.
Useful video: is a pregnancy test often wrong?
Conclusion
The human body has a complex structure, so it can play a cruel joke with modern methods of analysis. For additional security, you should follow the instructions exactly. We should also not forget that the largest amount of hCG accumulates in the urine in the morning. It is this type of biological fluid that is recommended to be used.
A rapid pregnancy test is considered the most accurate way to determine conception. However, even such ultra-sensitive devices can fail.
A pregnancy test can be false positive for various reasons. Before you panic, you need to find out why the error occurred, as sometimes it is associated with serious health problems.
What could be the reason for an erroneous result and how to find out the reliability of the test? Let's look at this issue in more detail in this article.
What is a false positive pregnancy test?
If a girl tested before her period, the result may be erroneous. This is due to the fact that in the early stages of fetal development the amount of chorionic hormone synthesized has not reached the required concentration. Because of this, the express strip does not indicate that fertilization has occurred.
The hCG hormone is sometimes synthesized in the female body even without fertilization. If a woman has thromboplastic neoplasms in her body, a pregnancy test may show a positive result. This is due to the fact that such cells synthesize the same hormone as the placenta, so when performing a home diagnosis, the test will show a second strip.
Faintly developed or blurred stripes are also considered a false positive result. If the first test gives this result, it is best to repeat the diagnosis in a couple of days or immediately contact the antenatal clinic.
A home rapid pregnancy test is a convenient and easy-to-use device with which you can quickly determine whether a girl is pregnant. Devices from popular manufacturers have high sensitivity and most often show the correct result in 95% of cases.
However, erroneous results may occur due to health conditions or other abnormalities. Why do these reliable devices make mistakes?
When a test shows a false positive result - an overview of possible reasons
Several factors influence the performance of devices.
Let's study them.
Human factor
Incorrect diagnostic answers are obtained for the following reasons:
- During the study, the instructions for use of the device were not followed, or the container for biological fluid was dirty.
- The woman violated the storage conditions for the dough or accidentally knocked over a container of liquid on it.
- Self-hypnosis. A girl can convince herself that she is pregnant and see two ghostly lines.
- The woman conducted the study during ovulation.
- If the girl is still breastfeeding, the test will show a positive result, since little time has passed since the previous birth.
- Psychological state of a person. If a girl is very worried or, conversely, has experienced a lot of positive emotions, a strong surge of hormones occurs in the body, which will lead to false results.
Health reasons
Quite often, when the second line appears, a woman thinks that the test was simply wrong or that she did it incorrectly. However, this is not always the case. A positive answer is not always displayed for trivial reasons. Sometimes the reason for this is serious health problems.
Possible reasons for erroneous analysis:
- pelvic diseases;
- endometritis;
- ectopic pregnancy;
- hepatitis;
- syphilis;
- ovarian cyst;
- corpus luteum cyst;
- hormonal imbalances;
- the onset of early menopause;
- development of cancer cells;
- uterine fibroids;
- miscarriage.
Health is not something to joke about, because if treatment is not started on time, it will lead to serious consequences. If a girl shows signs of ill health (pain in the lower abdomen, dizziness, nausea, fever, spotting), and the test gives two lines, then you need to immediately contact a gynecologist and undergo a full medical diagnosis.
If any abnormalities are detected, immediate treatment must be started. Don’t be afraid of going to the doctor; an unscheduled examination by a gynecologist will help you find out whether the woman is healthy and whether the long-awaited fertilization has occurred.
Other reasons
An erroneous positive test can also occur if the girl was taking medications containing hCG or taking birth control pills before diagnosis. In this case, to avoid errors in the study, it should be carried out 14–15 days after the end of the course.
And also before using the device you need to carefully look at the expiration date. If it is expired, then the likelihood of a true result is very small. This is due to the fact that after the expiration date, the reagent in the test dries out and loses its properties. Therefore, the test results will be inaccurate. It is best to go to the pharmacy and buy another pregnancy test.
How to handle a false positive test result
Modern testers have increased sensitivity of 90–95%. The electronic test from the Clearblue company has a hypersensitivity of 99%. Therefore, if you carry out diagnostics in compliance with all the rules, the results will be correct in 99% of cases.
However, there are times when the express strip shows two lines, but there is no pregnancy. There is no need to panic right away. The accuracy of the results cannot be judged from just one test.
First of all, you need to re-test after 2 days. If it also shows two stripes, you need to visit a gynecologist’s office and undergo a medical examination.
Don't forget about the color of the second stripe. If after testing the second stripe appears pale pink or blue, then there is most likely no pregnancy. This phenomenon may be due to non-compliance with the instructions or a malfunction of the tester.
There are also many other factors to consider when conducting a home study. In any case, if two lines appear on the express test, you need to contact the antenatal clinic and make sure that your testing is correct.
How to act so as not to make mistakes
Any device makes mistakes, even electronic ones. To avoid mistakes, you must carefully study the expiration date of the device, storage method and instructions for use. According to experts, it is best to buy devices at a pharmacy.
When choosing a device, you need to pay attention to the manufacturer. The most popular and in demand devices are often the most accurate. The company is responsible for quality assurance, so defective batches are rare.
Pay attention to the price of the device. If its cost is minimal, then it may be made from low-quality and inexpensive materials, which negatively affects accuracy. Follow the instructions and recommendations, then the likelihood of errors will be minimal.
A reproductive specialist will tell you how to avoid mistakes when determining pregnancy.
Conclusion
Pregnancy testers are universal devices that help detect conception without going to the doctor. However, there are cases when diagnostics show false results. This happens extremely rarely, and there are reasons for this.
When conducting diagnostics, it is necessary to take into account the human factor and the girl’s state of health. Perhaps this is why two bars appear on the display. To avoid a false positive answer, systematically undergo examinations by specialists and regularly visit a gynecologist.
