Diseases in which the pregnancy test is positive. Delayed menstruation - pregnancy: positive and false positive test

There comes a time in every woman's life when she has to use a pregnancy test. Regardless of whether a woman is waiting for her onset, or vice versa, wants to delay this moment, it is very important for every woman to get an exact answer to her question: can a pregnancy test be positive if there is no pregnancy?

Not pregnant but positive test

Sometimes, when checking for the presence or absence of pregnancy, a woman can get a false positive result. If the test is positive, the woman thinks she is pregnant, but she may not actually be.

There are some reasons that explain these results.

Features of the test

Buying a pregnancy test is possible in almost any store or pharmacy. Their use is extremely convenient - there is no need to make an appointment with a doctor, wait in line and take tests in the morning. After all, modern sensitive tests can be used at any time of the day.

The principle of testing is very simple - you need to dip a test stick into the collected urine for a few seconds. Then you should wait from 2 to 5 minutes, and you can see the result.

However, it should be remembered that the test does not respond to the onset of pregnancy, but to a certain concentration of the hormone - chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the urine of a woman. Normally, this hormone is produced in the body only after the formation and attachment of the human embryo to the uterus (or fallopian tube - in the case of an ectopic pregnancy). That is, under normal conditions, the presence of this hormone in the urine really indicates that pregnancy has occurred.

Typically, tests contain two control zones. The first reacts exclusively to human urine. It indicates that the test is usable. If this is true, the first strip appears on the test.

The second control zone is designed specifically to determine the concentration of hCG in a woman's urine. If the urine contains a sufficient amount of this hormone (sensitivity and minimum concentration should be indicated on the package), a second control strip appears.

This is what a positive pregnancy test looks like. Does this mean that it really came? Not always. Indeed, there are false positive results.

Misuse

The easiest way to get a false pregnancy test result is to buy an expired copy and use it.

Also, quite often, women purchase several tests at once, use one or two, and put the rest in the closet and forget about them. The next time a woman needs to carry out an express diagnosis of pregnancy, she simply takes an existing copy from the drawer. As a rule, they do not look at the expiration date. And if the test is overdue, it may show a false result.

It should be remembered that instructions are attached to each test. It describes in detail how to properly perform the test. In particular, the instructions always write that the test results are evaluated after 2-5 minutes (depending on each specific instance), and after 10 minutes the result can no longer be considered reliable. There are situations when a woman performed a test, put it off and forgot for a few minutes. If at the moment when the fair sex looked at the test, the specified time has elapsed, the result may turn out to be a false positive.

In addition, we should not forget that in each batch of pregnancy tests there may be a factory defect. The number of such tests that will hit the shelves is minimal, but there is a chance to buy a damaged copy. Using a defective test can result in a false positive result.

Conditions associated with pregnancy

In conditions of both physiological and pathological pregnancy, a woman's body begins to produce hCG. However, there are some situations in which a pregnancy is terminated:

  • Childbirth. Any physiological uncomplicated pregnancy ends in childbirth. Physiological, pathological, or through a caesarean section. In the second half of pregnancy, premature birth may occur.
  • Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion in early pregnancy, regardless of the causes and timing.
  • Medical or surgical abortion.

Together with the resolution of pregnancy, regardless of its method, chorionic gonadotropin is not immediately excreted from the body. For several more days, hCG remains in the body, gradually reducing its concentration.

When performing a standard pregnancy test within a week of the above conditions, women may receive a false positive result. The test will respond to the remaining concentration of hCG. However, the pregnancy itself will no longer be in the body.

Developmental Disorders of Pregnancy

A mole is another condition in which a pregnancy test is positive, but pregnancy does not develop. In this case, normal fertilization of the egg occurs, the development of the embryo and its attachment to the uterine cavity. However, there is no further normal development of the embryo. There is a pathological growth of the chorion, and the production of hCG.

If a pregnancy test is performed with a mole, a woman will receive a false positive result. Despite the fact that there is indeed an embryo and a chorion in the uterus, this cannot be called pregnancy. After all, in fact, there is no development of the embryo, but only pathological proliferation of the chorion. In the case of a complete hydatidiform drift, the embryo dies in the early stages, and the woman may develop a spontaneous abortion. With incomplete hydatidiform drift, the death of the embryo occurs by the 10th week of pregnancy.

Pathological formations

Sometimes a false positive pregnancy test indicates the presence of a pathological process in the body, but not pregnancy.

  1. Choricarcinoma is a malignant tumor that develops in the uterus, some time after a normal or pathological pregnancy. Choriocarcinoma can develop even after several years of pregnancy. Most often, this neoplasm occurs after a mole, an ectopic pregnancy, or a normal pregnancy.
  2. Neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. A woman receiving a positive pregnancy test does not always indicate pregnancy, but may be a symptom of digestive cancer.
  3. Neoplasms of the uterus, kidneys, or lungs.

These conditions should always be kept in mind when getting a positive result when performing a pregnancy test.

What needs to be done?

Not every pregnancy test gives a false positive result. And not always two strips on the test indicate the development of cancer of the internal organs or other pathological conditions. But it is not possible to reliably find out about the onset of pregnancy at home.

However, there is something that a woman can always do both at the stage of acquiring a test and at home. This is to check the expiration date and integrity of the individual packaging that contains the test strip itself.

What should a woman do after receiving a positive result with a pregnancy test in order to exclude a false result? There are several recommendations for women:

  • Seek advice from a gynecologist or an obstetrician-gynecologist at a antenatal clinic.

    Examination of the vagina and cervix in the mirrors allows you to assess the condition of the genital organs and make an assumption about the presence or absence of a normal pregnancy.

  • Determination of the level of hCG in the blood. The presence of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood is a more sensitive method than determining the level of this hormone in the urine. Carrying out such a test allows you to exclude a factory defect of the test.
  • Ultrasound diagnostics of the pelvic organs (transabdominal or transvaginal). Allows you to assess the condition of the uterus, its increase, according to the gestational age. In some cases, an ectopic pregnancy can be seen. Ultrasound also allows you to see some tumors of the uterus.

Only after carrying out the necessary studies and consulting an obstetrician-gynecologist, it is possible to confirm or deny the presence of pregnancy. Therefore, if positive results are obtained using a rapid test, it is necessary to consult an experienced doctor and exclude a false positive result.

Fortunately, false positive pregnancy test results are rare. However, they must be remembered in order not to miss the development of a life-threatening pathology. In any case, after conducting a standard test at home, you should seek advice from an obstetrician-gynecologist.

Using is the most affordable, easiest and fastest way to check if your period has really happened. Although these tests can be easily purchased at all pharmacies, women are very concerned about the reliability of their results, as well as the question of what to do next when a pregnancy test is positive. Let's try to figure this out together.

Operating principle

The basis of all pregnancy tests is to check the reaction to the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (pregnancy or) in urine. This hormone begins to be produced by the female body as soon as the fertilized egg is introduced into the wall.

This usually happens at 3-4 weeks from the start of the cycle and coincides with the expected start time. Therefore, it does not make sense to test for a fact before the expected delay.

Every day, its amount doubles, so every day the probability of a reliable result when testing urine for this hormone increases significantly. It is recommended to test for 4-6 days of cycle delay, the reliability of the results at this time is the best.

Important! Morning urine contains the maximum amount of hCG, so it is advisable to test for pregnancy in the morning.

In pharmacies, you can purchase the following types of pregnancy tests:


Most often, women use the strip - this is the most inexpensive and common form of testing, which determines the onset of conception with a 98% probability. Inkjet and electronic tests, although more convenient and sensitive, have a much higher price.

Are the tests wrong?

The probability of a pregnancy test error is very low, much more often women cannot always understand the result (a faintly colored strip is already a positive result). And yet there are situations in which the test results are questionable.

Did you know? In the ancient Egyptian papyri that have survived to our time, it is reported that the Egyptians of that period determined by pouring their urine on grains of barley and wheat. When barley grains germinated, it was believed that a woman would have, wheat -. If the grain did not germinate, then it did not come. Modern laboratory studies have revealed that the grain moistened with the urine of a pregnant woman germinates in 70%, and when using the urine of a non-pregnant woman or a man, the grains did not really germinate.

Sometimes a pregnancy test is positive and shows the presence in its absence (false positive), or vice versa - it says that conception did not occur, but the woman still turned out to be pregnant (false negative).

false negative

The reasons for getting a false negative pregnancy test result can be the following:

  • poor quality of the test, expired terms of its use;
  • misuse of the test or its misunderstood result;
  • using the daily portion of urine, not the morning;
  • taking diuretics or food () on the eve of testing;
  • short gestation period (less than two weeks); this situation often happens with irregular menstruation.

You can get a false positive pregnancy test for the following reasons:


When buying a test, you need to pay attention to the expiration date and carefully read the instructions. Drinking alcohol, stressful situations (except for the above drugs containing hCG) do not affect the results.

What to do with positive results

If the test showed 2 strips, a second test should be done in a couple of days, which will increase its reliability. When confirming the previous result, you need to go to the gynecologist.

Retest

The longer the period of absence of critical days, the more truthful the test will be. For the reliability of the result, it is better to purchase a special kit at the pharmacy from the very beginning, consisting of two test strips.

Conducting a second control test will make the result more reliable and cast aside doubts about the onset of conception.

This will be especially true for women with irregular cycles. Re-testing should be done two days after the first test. You cannot re-apply a test that has already been used.

It is not advisable to rush to do it for too short a period to confirm the reliability of the test without indications for this: symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, threat of miscarriage, suspicion of pathology.

Harm to the fetus has not been proven, but doctors recommend doing this procedure no earlier than the tenth week of the intended conception.

Did you know? A device for emitting sound at an ultra-high frequency that is not audible to the human ear, that is, ultrasound, was first created by the British scientist F. Galton in 1876. At the beginning of the 20th century, doctors tried to use ultrasound to reduce pain in patients, but the results were ineffective. And in 1951, American scientists created a device for diagnosing internal organs - the first ultrasound scanner. It was motionless and so large that the patient had to be moved along it.

The passage of this medical procedure will one hundred percent confirm the presence or absence of conception. After the ultrasound, it is necessary to consult with the attending gynecologist.
Using the results of an ultrasound examination, the doctor will determine if there are any deviations during the onset, and will check if the pregnancy is ectopic, if there are any inflammatory processes and tumor formations in the female organs.

Perhaps the most harmful habit is alcohol. When drinking alcohol by a pregnant woman, alcohol directly enters the child through the placenta and can have a negative impact on the development of the fetus, causing many abnormalities. In severe cases, fetal alcohol syndrome may occur.

Important! Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (AFS)- caused by the use of alcohol by the expectant mother, which is characterized by the appearance of mental and physical abnormalities that do not disappear with age. This is a violation of the activity of the brain (mental retardation, neurological anomalies, behavioral disorders), lack of height and weight, defects in the face and skull.

It is advisable to stop drinking coffee. If it is very difficult to give up coffee completely, then drink no more than one cup per day. Caffeine increases blood pressure, disrupts blood flow.

All this contributes to the violation of the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the child. In addition, having a diuretic effect, coffee contributes to dehydration.
You should also limit sitting at the computer, abandon the constant use of a mobile phone in favor of a relaxing holiday and walks in the fresh air, and do not forget to ventilate the room where you spend a lot of time.

Accounting in consultation

For further monitoring and control, a pregnant woman needs to contact the antenatal clinic and become registered. When registering, registration does not matter. You must register for up to 12 weeks.

For the entire time of being registered, the doctor is responsible for the pregnant woman. The gynecologist gives the expectant mother an individual card for a pregnant woman and a woman in labor, as well as an exchange card.

The exchange card keeps a record of all the results of the ultrasound scan, a description of the course of the pregnancy is given.

The doctor prescribes the necessary tests (urine, blood, vaginal smear, etc.) and sends for examination to other specialists (endocrinologist, dentist, ENT, surgeon, etc.) to avoid complications during the period of bearing a child.
So, we learned that pregnancy tests give a fairly reliable result, but it is very dependent on the timing of use. Therefore, if the test showed 2 strips, it makes sense to retest before contacting specialists.

At the onset of conception, observation by a doctor and attentive attitude to your body will never be superfluous.

In view of the fact that we often so want to see the cherished // stripes, and sometimes we will even "see" them - I have collected several articles. This information may be useful. (sorry if this has already been posted)

First, an article about the frequently mentioned "liar" frautest!

FRAUTEST test

C (c o ntrol) - control zone. The appearance of this strip during the study shows that everything is in order with the system itself, the test result is RELIABLE.
T(test ) is the test zone. This strip, reacting to hCG in the urine, appears in the test zone and informs about the presence of pregnancy.

We draw your attention to the fact that the strips on the dough must be even., approximately the same color (although in early pregnancy, the test strip may be slightly lighter than the control) and placed across the entire width of the control zone.

Also follows doubt a positive test result if the strip is blurry, barely visible or located at the junction of the plastic protective substrate and the base of the test (at the test strips).

Also, a white stripe should not be considered a positive result.. A white stripe is a reagent that did not appear, which became visible due to the large amount of the test liquid that got into the test. In other words, if the woman were pregnant, then this reagent would stain and as a result, the test would show two full-fledged strips.

FALSE POSITIVE (no pregnancy, but the test shows a positive result).

Possible reasons:

- taking fertility drugs containing hCG (pregnyl, profazi) at the time of the test or if the time after the end of treatment is less than 10 days;

- the presence of tumors (chorion epithelioma of the uterus or hydatidiform mole);

- incomplete removal of embryonic tissue after a previous abortion.

FALSE NEGATIVE (there is a pregnancy, but the test shows a negative result).

Possible reasons:

- the test was carried out ahead of schedule (especially this result can be observed in women with an irregular menstrual cycle);

- pathology of the kidneys and the cardiovascular system, which prevents the release of hCG in the urine in normal concentrations;

- high fluid intake or diuretics before testing.


The mechanism of "work" of the pregnancy test

In pregnancy tests, immunochromatography is used - a type of chromatographic analysis based on the interaction of a substance (usually of a protein nature) with antibodies to it. The body's immune system works on the same principle of antigen-antibody interaction, hence the name.

The substance to be determined is human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a glycopeptide hormone secreted by the placenta during pregnancy. The appearance and rapid increase in the concentration of hCG in the body (and in particular, in the urine) of a woman makes it a fairly reliable sign of pregnancy. Usually, on the 7-10th day after fertilization, the concentration of hCG reaches 25 mIU / ml (international units per ml) and doubles every 2-3 days, reaching a maximum between the 8th and 11th weeks of pregnancy, and then decreases almost to zero by the beginning of the 3rd trimester. 25 mIU / ml is the minimum concentration of hCG detected using immunochromatographic tests.

How many days after ovulation can you test?

In principle, a positive result can be obtained already on the 7th day of post-ovulation. Embryo implantation takes 6-12 days, usually about 10 days. So it makes sense to wait 10-12 days after ovulation, but even then there are often false negative results (i.e., there is a pregnancy, but the test is negative).

Tests from different manufacturers have different sensitivities, most of them are designed to be used from the 1st day of a missed period. In 90% ± 5% of cases, by this time the embryo has already implanted in the uterine wall and begins to produce hCG. However, in 10% of cases, implantation has not yet occurred. With a delay of 1 week, implantation occurs already in 97% ± 3% of cases. However, in practice, the reliability of the tests is limited by their sensitivity, so the real reliability is somewhat lower. Since the hCG level doubles every 2-3 days, the recommendation follows: if the result is negative, if menstruation does not begin, repeat the test after a few days.

What do false positive and false negative test results mean?

A false positive result is when the test shows two lines in the absence of pregnancy. This happens when a woman takes drugs containing hCG, as well as with trophoblastic tumors. After a spontaneous miscarriage or early abortion or removal of an ectopic pregnancy, hCG remains in the body for some time, and the test gives false positive results (i.e. there is no longer a pregnancy, but the test is still positive). As in the case of taking drugs containing hCG, two quantitative determinations of hCG with an interval of 2-3 days are necessary to obtain reliable results. A decrease in the level of hCG indicates that the pregnancy is no longer there. Thus, false positive results are relatively rare, in contrast to false negatives. The latter are obtained when the gestational age is still too short and the hCG level is too low to be detected by the test (or the test itself is not sensitive enough).

The validity of a home test depends on various reasons:

  • The quality of the test itself. Products from different companies can vary significantly.
  • Expiration date of the test, conditions and place of its storage. It is believed that in most cases the test can be trusted, provided that it is bought at a pharmacy.
  • The state of pregnancy. In a pregnancy that is on the verge of miscarriage, hCG will be produced much less than in a normally developing pregnancy.
  • Conditions for setting the test: the study must be carried out using the morning portion of urine, in which the maximum content of the hormone is observed; the evaluation of the test must be carried out, adhering to the time interval specified in the instructions.
  • Additional circumstances. The amount of hCG in the urine is affected by the diet and the functional state of your kidneys.
  • If you drank a lot of liquid the night before, or ate watermelon, or are taking diuretics (diuretics), the concentration of hormones in the urine will be too low, and the test will not notice them.
  • If you have protein in your urine (even if you don't know anything about it), the test may give an incorrect result.
  • If you were injected with hCG to induce ovulation (Profazi, Pregnyl) or to maintain the luteal phase, then traces of this hormone may remain in your body for 10 days after the last dose of the drug, and, accordingly, a pregnancy test may give a false positive result.
  • Also, the level of hCG can be determined several weeks after normal delivery, caesarean section, spontaneous or medical abortion, and in other cases mentioned above.

As a result, you can get incorrect information, and in both directions: there is no pregnancy, but the test seems to be positive. Or: there is a pregnancy, but the test is still negative. Both of these can be a source of great suffering.

Some tests in the absence of pregnancy show its presence (false positive result). On the contrary, there are situations when there was a pregnancy, and the test showed its absence (a false negative result).

What are the reasons for the so-called false positive and false negative results?

Often the cause of a false result is an incorrect test or the use of an expired test.

With the introduction of hCG to induce ovulation (drugs "Profazi", "Pregnil") or maintain the luteal phase of the cycle, traces of this hormone can remain in the body for 10-14 days after the last dose of the drug, and, accordingly, a pregnancy test can give false positive result.

Alcohol, fatigue, stress, lactation, taking medications (including birth control pills and Postinor) do not affect the test results.

The cause of false positive results may be a tumor that produces hCG - chorionepithelioma or cystic mole, dysfunctional ovarian diseases, when the production of various sex hormones is impaired.

After a spontaneous miscarriage or early abortion or removal of an ectopic pregnancy, hCG remains in the body for some time, and the test gives false positive results.

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. In order 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.