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How Do Home Pregnancy Tests Work?
At-home urine pregnancy tests are intended to identify the presence of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), a hormone generated only during pregnancy. To utilise a home pregnancy test, a person urinates on a stick with a reactive paper that detects hCG. Within a few minutes or less, a negative or positive result appears.How Accurate Are Pregnancy Tests?
Many home pregnancy tests claim to be 99 per cent accurate. However, the test's accuracy is determined by a variety of circumstances, including how far along a person is in their pregnancy at the time of testing.Depending on the brand and specific test type, there are different detection thresholds for the hormone.
Urine pregnancy tests are less reliable than blood pregnancy tests, which are administered in a healthcare provider's office. These may detect even low levels of hCG in a person's blood. While blood tests can detect levels as low as 5 mIU/ml, the most sensitive urine tests can only detect hCG levels of 20 mIU/ml or higher.
Reasons You Could Get A Negative Pregnancy Test
There are many reasons why you may get a negative pregnancy test while you believe you are pregnant—experts suggest checking too early is one of the most prevalent.You are not pregnant
Some pregnancy symptoms may be modest yet indicate another medical problem. If you've been actively trying, it's possible that you've been meticulously examining and analysing every minute of body function in the hopes that it indicates pregnancy.You are testing too early
Pregnancy tests detect the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which only rises when a developing embryo begins to burrow into the uterine lining. If you test too early and the baby hasn't attached yet, you won't have that positive hCG level. Some tests claim to detect hCG levels up to a week before your missing period, but there's still a risk you'll receive a false negative. You are ovulating
Not everyone has . However, some women have a strong connection with their bodies. Typical indicators of ovulation might be comparable to early pregnancy symptoms (e.g., spotting, cramps, breast discomfort, bloating). So, if you're confused about your cycle timing, you can confuse one for the other. In this case, you would have a negative test merely because you were ovulating. In other words, you could not be pregnant—even if you're experiencing all of the "telltale" symptoms.Your menstruation is late
Have you had a negative pregnancy test but no period? Your menstruation might be late. Experts say that premenstrual syndrome (PMS) may induce some of the same symptoms as early pregnancy, such as sore breasts, mood swings, and bloating.Your ovaries typically produce one egg every month or so, and if it is not fertilised, menstruation begins 14 to 16 days following ovulation.
If you miss more than three periods in a row and all pregnancy tests come out negative, see your doctor for a comprehensive review. Diabetes, eating disorders, intense exercise, stress, obesity, very low body fat, and certain medications may all cause women to miss their periods. Here are some more common reasons:
Thyroid disorder
An underactive or hyperactive thyroid may cause missing periods. Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) symptoms include weariness, weight gain, and a sluggish pulse. An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) may induce uneasiness, irritability, difficulty sleeping, a rapid heart rate, and weight loss. Your doctor may do a blood test to establish how well your thyroid is functioning, and thyroid issues are often treatable with medication.Too much prolactin
If your prolactin levels are excessively high, you may skip a period (or many). Menstruation often ceases during nursing because your body produces prolactin. This condition is generally addressed with medicine.Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
This disorder impairs the hormones responsible for the release of mature eggs. If you have , eggs stay in the ovaries and cannot be fertilised. Symptoms often begin with anomalies in your menstrual period.Perimenopause
As you approach menopause (also known as perimenopause), your periods become increasingly unpredictable. This usually occurs in your 40s, although some women experience perimenopause in their mid-30s.If you're worried about your period or a pregnancy test result, always contact your provider so they can help you figure out what's going on.
You did not use your first-morning urine to test
When you don't drink or urinate for many hours overnight, your urine gets concentrated, making your hCG levels more noticeable when you wake up. The longer you test, the less progress you believe you've made. If it's been at least a week since your anticipated period, you can probably test at any time of day and still get a reliable result.You drank plenty of water
Consuming a lot of fluids just before your pregnancy test might dilute your urine and result in a false negative.You did not follow all of the testing requirements
You're human, and user errors occur! Before testing, be careful to read and follow all package instructions, which often involve waiting two minutes to see your results. Also, be careful to test "midstream" when urinating—otherwise, the test can be contaminated with bacteria and cause a false negative.The test has expired
Home pregnancy tests are just as reliable as the [urine] tests that your doctor's office is using. However, there is a rationale for their expiry dates: they become less valid with time. Always check the expiration date of the kit before use.You are unexpectedly expecting twins
According to experts, very high in twin pregnancies might result in false negatives on both blood and urine pregnancy tests at the end of the first trimester. You have a (rare) unviable pregnancy
The hook effect—a false negative caused by very high hCG levels—can also occur with gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD), a rare set of disorders that includes molar pregnancy and affects around one out of every 1,000 pregnancies. In GTD, aberrant trophoblasts—the cells that surround a newly fertilised egg and aid in its implantation in the uterine lining—form a tumour. GTD pregnancies are not viable. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are some of the treatment options.In an ectopic pregnancy, a fertilised egg is implanted outside the uterus. Because hCG levels are lower in ectopic pregnancies, you may have a negative test result during the first several days after a missing menstruation. Ectopic pregnancy occurs in around 2% of all pregnancies. It is not viable and may cause life-threatening bleeding, therefore, your doctor will give you medicine to prevent cell proliferation.
Keep in mind that both of these illnesses are uncommon, and they are often accompanied by symptoms such as pelvic discomfort and bleeding unrelated to your menstruation.
What to Do After a Negative Pregnancy Test?
If you have a negative pregnancy test but believe you may be pregnant, you may retake it in two to three days. Alternatively, you might see your doctor for a more accurate blood test.If you're having trouble coping with the findings of your pregnancy test, get help from a medical expert.
FAQs on What It Means to Get a Negative Pregnancy Test?
- Is it possible to be pregnant while still testing negative?
When you are pregnant, a home pregnancy test may provide a negative result. This is known as a false negative. An early test might result in a false-negative result. - Can you be two weeks late and test negative?
The basic answer is that you might still be pregnant despite a negative test, depending on when you took it, but there are other reasons your period may be late. A pregnancy test detects HCG levels in your urine, which grow as your pregnancy progresses.
