What Can Make A Pregnancy Test False Positive?
It is possible to get a false positive result on a pregnancy test. A false positive result means that the test says you are pregnant, but you actually are not. This is quite rare, but it can happen.
Reasons for a False Positive
There are a few different reasons for a false positive result on a pregnancy test.
- Chemical pregnancy: A chemical pregnancy is an early miscarriage and a very early pregnancy. It can occur within a few weeks of conception. The signs of a chemical pregnancy can be too slight for you to notice. In this case, a pregnancy test may still be positive, although the pregnancy is not viable.
- Recent miscarriage or abortion:After a miscarriage or abortion, there may still be hCG present in the body, leading to a false positive result. This can occur as soon as four days after the event.
- Medication: Some medications, such as certain fertility drugs, contain hCG. This can cause a false positive result.
- Evaporation lines: Pregnancy tests that have been left standing for a while may have faint evaporation lines, which can be mistaken for a positive result. These lines are due to the urine evaporating over time and not a positive result.
- Expired test: An expired pregnancy test may give a false positive result. The hormone measured by the test can cause the chemicals in the test to break down over time, leading to a false positive.
- Contaminated sample: If the urine sample is contaminated with blood, soap, detergent, or very dilute urine, it may give a false positive result.
Preventing a False Positive
Here are a few tips for getting an accurate result from a pregnancy test:
- Take the test first thing in the morning, when the hCG levels are highest.
- Follow the directions on the package carefully.
- Make sure the test isn’t expired. Check the expiration date before purchasing.
- Don’t use a diluted sample. For example, don’t add water to your urine sample.
- Don’t use a test that’s been left sitting for too long. Read the results within the recommended time frame.
- Avoid contamination of the sample. Don’t use soap or other chemicals when collecting the sample.
If you take all of these precautions, you are much less likely to get a false positive result. If you still get an unexpected result, contact your doctor for additional testing.
Welcome to my fertility blog. This is a space where I will be sharing my experiences as I navigate through the world of fertility treatments, as well as provide information and resources about fertility and pregnancy.
