Everything You Should Know About False Positives And False Negatives Results
FALSE POSITIVES RESULTS
Usually, if a test says you are pregnant - you are, but occasionally, a "false positive" result may occur. These can be heart-breaking and are rare, but may happen for a few reasons:
Chemical Pregnancy
This is a term used for a very early miscarriage. About half of all pregnancies are thought to end in miscarriage, usually shortly after conception. But if a test is taken very early, when hormone levels have started to climb, you may detect a positive hCG response and then go on to have a period.
Not Following Directions
Make sure you check the pregnancy test within the specified reaction period; a test that has been sitting around too long may return a false positive result. Following the right time and direction of the test will give you close to accurate results.
Fertility Treatments
Some fertility treatments contain the hCG hormone and may return a false positive if the hormone is still present. This leads to a ‘false pregnancy’ result.
FALSE NEGATIVES RESULTS
If you test too early, you may get a negative result even though you are actually pregnant. Testing a few days later may return a different result, so do keep an eye on the changes in your body just in case. And in rare cases, a pregnancy test may not work properly (although the test strip usually shows if this is the case) so it’s best to go in for a re-test.
Have more questions on pregnancy? Join a support group (if you have not done so!). Motherhood represents a completely new phase in your life and a community of new mothers who can journey with you will be helpful! Pregnancy tips, parenting tips, free diaper samples and exclusive diaper offers shared on the Huggies Club platform can ensure you are best prepared for your newborn child too.
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