Can you be pregnant if the pregnancy test is negative?
The simplest answer to this question is yes, you can be pregnant if the home pregnancy test results are negative. This may be due to a number of reasons and is called a false negative. This means that you are actually pregnant and the test results are misleading.
Home pregnancy tests determine pregnancy through the detection of the hormone Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) in a woman's urine. Doctors recommend that you wait until you have missed a period to take a home pregnancy test. If you can not wait that long to find out and you know the day you may have conceived, then the earliest you can take a test would be 14 days from possible conception. Home tests are usually 97% accurate when all instructions are followed correctly and the results are read on time. Some kits come with two tests so that in case you have made a mistake, you may take the home pregnancy tests gain.
False negative pregnancy tests and what causes them
If you take a home pregnancy test too early, you may get a false negative result. A false negative result is when the test says you are not pregnant but you are. This can be misleading and when using home pregnancy tests you must be very careful of avoiding any factors that may cause false results.
There could be various reasons for a false negative test.
- Untimely detection attempt
One reason for a false negative pregnancy test could be that you took the test too early for the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) to be present in your blood. Pregnancy tests vary in their sensitivity which means how soon they can detect the hormone Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. It is possible that although your ovum might be fertilized, meaning you may be pregnant, but your body has not started secreting enough Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) for the test to measure. Your body needs at least 14 days after ovulation for the hormone to rise to a high enough level to be detected in a test.
- Unreliable technique
There is a possibility that while using the home pregnancy test strip you either did not dip it well or did not hold it well in your urine stream, depending on the test you are using. This error in technique may give false negative results.
- Overlooked reaction time
For accuracy in home pregnancy tests it is essential that you read the test results in the stipulated reaction time. All test kits indicate their specific reaction time on the package itself. If you let the test sit for too long (after the instructions on the box tell you), the test is invalid. This may cause it to show false negative results.
If the home pregnancy test shows negative results but you still think you could be pregnant, wait a few days and try again. A negative result can mean three things. Either you are not pregnant, or you took the test too early or you took the test wrong. Also, if you have received different answers on multiple pregnancy tests, it is recommended that you get a blood pregnancy test done to get an accurate answer.
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