It’s possible to have a positive pregnancy test even if you aren’t technically pregnant. This is called a false positive. It’s sometimes caused by a chemical pregnancy. A chemical pregnancy occurs if a fertilized egg, known as the embryo, is unable to implant, or grow, very early on. You may still get a false-positive test reading from the hCG in your system. If you have a pregnancy test show a negative result after previously receiving a positive one, it can be a sign of a chemical pregnancy or early miscarriage. However, it’s best to not rely on a home pregnancy test for this kind of information and instead see a doctor.
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What are the chances of a false positive pregnancy test?
A false-positive test result only happens less than 1% of the time, but when it does, it can make the following days or weeks confusing before you realize you’re not actually pregnant.
What causes HCG levels to rise if not pregnant?
Although the most common cause of an elevated HCG level in females is pregnancy, occasionally, a HCG-secreting tumor is suspected and other conditions such as gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD), nontrophoblastic neoplasms, or a pituitary source of HCG, must be considered.
What causes a false positive pregnancy test after an abortion?
Taking a home urine pregnancy test, following an abortion or miscarriage, can be another reason for a false-positive result. Once a fertilized egg is implanted into the uterine wall, the body begins to secrete the pregnancy hormone hCG. After a miscarriage or abortion, the levels of hCG start to fall, but only slowly.
Can a woman get a false positive pregnancy test after hCG?
If a woman is having a hard time getting pregnant, her doctor may put her on fertility treatments. Some of those medicines include hCG which helps follicles release mature eggs within a woman’s ovary. If a pregnancy test is taken within 7-14 days after fertility treatments, a false-positive can occur.
Can a pregnancy test be wrong if taken too soon?
But hCG levels start out very low and increase over time. If you take the test too soon after conceiving, it might say you’re not pregnant when you really are. In other words, timing can lead to a false negative. But what about a false positive? False positives aren’t super common, Dr. Emery says.
Can you have a positive pregnancy test and not be pregnant?
Chemical pregnancy It’s possible to have a positive pregnancy test even if you aren’t technically pregnant. This is called a false positive. It’s sometimes caused by a chemical pregnancy. A chemical pregnancy occurs if a fertilized egg, known as the embryo, is unable to implant, or grow, very early on. This can happen for a wide range of reasons.
