In the life of almost every woman, the minute inevitably comes when you have to use a pregnancy test. Someone, with bated breath, is waiting for a positive result, someone - on the contrary, is negative. But, it turns out, far from always the test can show the exact result. Sometimes you can get a false positive pregnancy test, that is, it will show two treasured strips, but, in fact, there will be no pregnancy. What turns out, tests lie? Let's get it right.
Let's start with the question of how the test “finds out” that the woman is pregnant. A strip of dough is impregnated with a special reagent that responds to changes in hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin contained in urine). The amount of this hormone usually increases sharply during pregnancy, and the test responds to this change by the appearance of a second strip. But is this "answer" always accurate? Unfortunately, a false pregnancy test is not uncommon. That is, we see two stripes, but fertilization at the moment has not occurred. Manufacturers therefore recommend that the test be repeated a few days later, especially if the test was used for very short periods (before the delay of menstruation). The exact answer - whether there is a pregnancy or not - will give only a blood test, where the hCG content is determined with a minimum correction.
The test can also give a false negative result. And this, of course, is much worse than a false positive pregnancy test. You could even say that such a result is dangerous. Why? But the test will show a negative result, while the woman is pregnant! The expectant mother sees one strip and calms down, continues to lead the same lifestyle that she led up to this point. Many people smoke, drink alcohol (albeit in moderation, but this is enough for the developing body). After all, there is not always a delay, it happens that the menstruation goes a couple more months of pregnancy. Therefore, if doubts still remain, it is better to donate blood and get an accurate answer about the state of your health.
False positive pregnancy test. Reasons and consequences
If you have done the test before the delay, it is quite possible that the result will not be accurate. This is explained by the fact that the hormone chorion begins to be produced immediately after fertilization. But its percentage is quite individual for every woman. With the development of pregnancy, the amount of chorion increases. Therefore, it is recommended to do the test after a delay of at least one day, in which case it is more likely that the test "will tell you the truth."
But, for a number of reasons, the hCG hormone can be produced in the body not only during pregnancy. That is why a false positive pregnancy test is sometimes possible. One of the reasons for this “response” of the test may be trophoblastic neoplasms. They develop from the same cells that produce the hCG hormone. Also, a recent abortion, miscarriage or termination of an ectopic pregnancy can trigger a false result. Some medications that contain hCG will also affect the result if you took them shortly before the test. By the way, an ectopic pregnancy is also indicated by a test in the form of two stripes, and yet it is life-threatening. Therefore, it is recommended to do an ultrasound after the test to make sure that the fetal egg has attached in the uterus.
However, for a false-positive pregnancy test, you can take the so-called blurry stripes. They are usually barely visible, only under certain lighting conditions or at some angle. This often happens if the tests were stored incorrectly, their expiration date or they turned out to be of poor quality. But such blurry stripes may indicate that you did the test too early - that is, the hCG hormone is still not enough. If the test showed a negative result, but a delay is observed, you cannot postpone a visit to the doctor - this can be dangerous for women's health.
Home test - it is convenient, simple and affordable for every woman. However, you should not postpone a visit to the gynecologist for a long time after it. Only a doctor will be able to accurately determine whether there is a pregnancy or not, and also help to avoid all sorts of troubles and complications, such as, for example, an ectopic pregnancy.