Can you trust the results of your home pregnancy test?
Home pregnancy tests are designed to detect human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone that your body starts producing when a fertilized egg gets implanted in the uterus. Unfortunately, there are many things that can lead to inaccurate results. The following is a list from our certified midwife in Sarasota of a few things that could cause you to get a false negative on a home pregnancy test:
#1. Your urine is too diluted.
There is a reason why many home pregnancy tests instruct users to test first thing in the morning. This is when the urine is the most concentrated and has the most hCG. If you test later in the day, particularly after drinking large quantities of water, your urine may be too diluted to get an accurate result.
#2. You took the test too early.
Just because tests claim to get you results early doesn’t mean that they’ll be accurate. After an egg is fertilized, it takes around six days for it to implant. Testing on the first day you expect your period or later will give you the most accurate results.
#3. You didn’t follow the instructions on your test.
Taking a pregnancy test seems simple enough, but missing even one detail could affect your results. For example, if the results window is splashed with urine, if you don’t urinate on the stick for long enough or if you don’t lay the test on a flat surface while you are waiting, you could get an inaccurate result. Always read and follow all instructions before taking a home pregnancy test.
Stay tuned for our next blog to learn what causes false positives.