Evaporation lines Sometimes an evaporation line can be mistaken for a positive pregnancy test. Some at-home tests show two lines when hCG is detected and one line when hCG isn’t detected. The lines are usually a bright color, such as pink, red, or blue. Sometimes, a faint-colored second line will appear. If you keep the pregnancy test kit upside down or hold it with strip towards the floor, it will give a wrong pregnancy test result. Touching the hCG strip with hands will give a wrong pregnancy test result. Reading the results after the allotted time has passed will give you a wrong pregnancy test result.

How do you tell if a pregnancy test is faulty?

For the line tests, sometimes, a faint-colored second line appears. This may represent an early pregnancy or may simply be an evaporation line. If you read the test after the recommended time in the instructions, the results might be a false-positive since the evaporation line may show up more clearly.

How likely is an incorrect pregnancy test?

Most home pregnancy tests are reliable, for example Clearblue’s tests have an accuracy of over 99% from the day you expect your period, and while it’s possible a test showing a negative result is wrong, particularly if you’re testing early, getting a false positive is extremely rare.

Can you pee on a pregnancy test wrong?

A false negative on a home pregnancy test is possible, but extremely unlikely. As long as your urine got on the test’s absorbent strip, it should be accurate. You can always take another test if you’re worried you might have missed. Something that can give you a false negative is taking the test too early.

Can a pregnancy test be wrong?

The answer is yes: pregnancy tests can be wrong. While false negative results occur more often, on rare occasions a test will display a false positive. There are many factors that can affect your pregnancy test, so if you question your results don’t be surprised if they are wrong. Could a positive result be wrong?

What happens if you take a false positive pregnancy test?

False positive tests tell you that you’re pregnant when you are not. Taking the test early gives a false negative result. In that case, you get a negative test despite being pregnant in reality.

What does it mean when a pregnancy test is negative?

A negative pregnancy test result means the test hasn’t detected hCG in your urine. If your period is very late, or you’ve skipped your period, and you get a negative result, you are unlikely to be pregnant. If you are testing before the date of your expected period, you may be pregnant but your hCG levels are too low for the test to detect.

Can you miss your period and still have a negative pregnancy test?

Sometimes you can get a false negative on your pregnancy test – meaning you’re pregnant, but the test says otherwise. On the flipside, you can miss your period, but you’re not pregnant. Read on to find out what a negative pregnancy test result means.