False Pregnancy Test

Childbirth is the most amazing transitional stage of a woman's life. When you are trying to get pregnant, one thing that gives you the quickest 'good news' is the home pregnancy test. Home pregnancy tests are safe tests that detect pregnancy by detecting hCG (Human Chorionic Gonodotropin) hormone, which is found only in pregnant women. You can either take blood test for pregnancy or the urine pregnancy tests and find out whether you are pregnant. Accuracy of these tests, however, is a topic of debate amongst doctors as well as users of these tests. The main reason behind this is the ratio of inaccuracy of these tests. According to studies, as many as 2% to 3% of home pregnancy tests fail to provide accurate results. Such false test results show either positive or negative pregnancy results.

What is False Pregnancy

False pregnancy, which is also called pseudo-pregnancy or hysterical pregnancy is basically a condition in which the woman feels that she is suffering with all the pregnancy symptoms. Such feeling arise in mind as a result of endocrinal and/or hormonal changes in a woman's body. Sometimes, the similar situation happens with the home pregnancy tests and they show false pregnancy in humans. Interestingly, these false results either suggest positive or negative results. Hence, with a false pregnancy test, there are two possible results, namely false positive pregnancy test and false negative pregnancy test. As I said earlier, there are two types of pregnancy tests, as urine pregnancy test and blood test for pregnancy. Both these tests can cause false results. However, since urine pregnancy test is the most common way of detecting pregnancy in its earliest stage, chances of it showing wrong results are relatively higher.

What Can Cause False Pregnancy Test Results

You need to consider a few important factors first. Unlike doctor's recommendation, if you try to take pregnancy test before missed period, then you are likely to get false results. Here are some of these reasons due to which, you might end up getting totally false positive or false negative pregnancy results.

Wrong Timing
In the quest of getting the earliest detection of pregnancy, you are likely to get wrong results of pregnancy, altogether. You always need to be aware of the best time to take a pregnancy test, which varies as per the day of conception of each woman. For instance, some women may find results for a false pregnancy during the first week, while another woman might show negative results, even when she is pregnant. It is the reason why you need to take the pregnancy test within 14 days of conception.

Wrong Method
If you fail to follow all the mentioned instructions on the pregnancy kit, then you are likely to get false negative or false positive pregnancy test results. As explained before, improper ways of performing the test and impatient nature of the women, who is taking the test, may cause false test results. This happens due to time mismanagement and failing to follow the instructions that are present on the pregnancy test kit. It is the reason why you need to check the results within the accorded time span.

Wrong Reading
If you check the results sooner than the waiting period which is required, then you are likely to get wrong results. In most cases, you will find a very faint line on pregnancy test. This color appears when urine passes through the testing strip. This light line is also called watermark. If that changes then you are pregnant, if it doesn't change then you are not pregnant. Hence, you need to be careful while taking earliest pregnancy tests of any kind.

Other Reasons
Sometimes women get false negative or false positive pregnancy test due to high sensitivity towards the pregnancy strip and drug interaction. Drug interaction is caused in case of women who have taken medications that contain hCG. In such situations, they get positive results. This is also a sign on early miscarriage. Apart from that, sometimes, you might get confused with how to read a pregnancy test and how to follow the instructions. In such situations, you may get false positive/negative results.

Apart from that, reasons like expired pregnancy testing products, and unreliable homemade pregnancy tests can also cause false results. If you have taken the blood test for pregnancy, then medicinal interactions might cause wrong diagnosis. Medicines that are likely to cause these results include, anticonvulsants, tranquilizers, medicines that contain diuretics and medicines for mental disorders. You also need to be sure that the symptoms of pregnancy that you have are not false pregnancy symptoms, so that when you perform a pregnancy test, you can get accurate results. Hence, you need to recheck with your doctor if you are experiencing either a false pregnancy test but no period, and a missed period but false readings.

So, as you can see, in order to avoid a false pregnancy test, you need to be aware of exactly when to take a pregnancy test. Also, you need to have second opinion of a doctor, even if you are suffering with earliest possible signs of pregnancy and a positive or negative pregnancy test results!