False negatives are common in home pregnancy tests due to testing too early, poor technique, or reading results after the allotted time. The test detects human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which is only produced after implantation. Retesting a few days later or using a different brand can eliminate doubt.
A home pregnancy test is very accurate when the instructions are followed correctly. False positives are very rare, but false negatives are more common. The most common causes of a false negative pregnancy test are testing too early, not following directions, and reading results after the allotted time is up.
To understand how a negative pregnancy test can happen, it’s important to understand how pregnancy tests work. A home pregnancy test involves urinating on an absorbent strip. This strip will change color to indicate the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone found only in pregnant women.
One of the most common causes of a false negative pregnancy test is testing too early. The hCG detected by pregnancy tests is not produced until the fertilized egg is implanted in the uterine wall, which can take up to two weeks after conception. Most women will not produce enough hCG to register on a pregnancy test until their period is due.
An early pregnancy test can sometimes detect pregnancy before a missed period, but the most accurate results come from testing a few days after a missed period. Levels of hCG typically double every other day during pregnancy, so retesting a few days later can lead to a positive result. When testing early, women are advised to use the first urine of the morning because it tends to be the most concentrated and therefore contains the highest levels of hCG
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A negative pregnancy test can also be triggered by poor testing technique. Most home pregnancy tests require a certain amount of urine to make an assessment. Holding the test in an incorrect position while urinating sometimes causes too little urine to soak into the test strip. Some women find it helpful to urinate into a cup first and then dip the test strip into the cup to ensure proper saturation.
Another possible cause of a negative pregnancy test result despite actually being pregnant is waiting too long to read the results. It is important to follow the instructions that come with your home pregnancy test very carefully. Many tests must be read within ten minutes before the results become invalid. A positive line on a test can fade quickly, which makes it look like a negative result.
Whenever there is a doubt about the accuracy of a negative pregnancy test, further testing is recommended. Using a test from a different brand and comparing the results can shed some light on the situation. Another way to eliminate doubt is to wait a few days for more hCG to build up and then retest. A blood test in a doctor’s office can detect lower levels of hCG and produce more conclusive results.
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