Very Faint Line on Pregnancy Test

Over the past decade, pregnancy testing has transformed substantially and today it is no more a big deal. Considered to be one of the most convenient ways for earliest detection of pregnancy, nowadays, there are so many pregnancy test kits available in the market, which not only claim to give accurate results but are inexpensive too. However, sometimes the results are not very clear and can leave you very confused or unsure about your pregnancy status.

How does a Pregnancy Test Work

As we know, a woman is considered to be pregnant when the fertilized egg implants itself in the uterus lining. This implantation usually takes place six or seven days after conception. Shortly after that, the placenta (tissue surrounding the developing baby) starts releasing a glycoprotein hormone called hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), whose production increases as the pregnancy progresses. The pregnancy test basically works by detecting the presence of this hormone in the urine. There are two ways for conducting this test, one by holding the test strip in a container having urine and second by holding the strip against the stream of urine.

The concentrations of the hCG hormone are evaluated in milli-International Units (mIU) or amounts equal to 1/1000th of an IU per milliliter. The test detects the concentrations of hCG hormone, which is generally 25 mIU at 10 dpo (days past ovulation), 50 mIU at 12 dpo, and 100 mIU at 15 dpo. Hence, if the test shows one pink line, a woman is not pregnant, and if it shows two adjacent pink lines, she is pregnant. However, this is where most women get confused as sometimes instead of two clear adjacent pink lines, there is only one very faint line on the home pregnancy test. The good news is that even though there is a very faint line on the pregnancy test, it can be a positive indication for pregnancy. But what contributes to such very faint positive line on pregnancy test, let us know with the coming section.

Possibilities

Since very faint line on pregnancy test can be attributed to various possibilities, check out some of its most common causes.

Testing Too Early: Since the placenta releases the hCG hormone after the implantation of fertilized egg, which occurs six to seven days after conception or ovulation, the test conducted within these days is very early as hCG may not be at a sufficient level and the result will be a very faint line on the test. The hCG hormone concentration doubles every two to three days and so for optimum results it is recommended to conduct the test 10 - 12 days after ovulation.

Diluted Urine: The next probable cause can be diluted urine, i.e. urine containing less amounts of hCG hormone. The urine samples can be diluted due to frequent urination or consumption of liquids just before conducting the test. Hence, the best time to conduct the test is early morning, as the first urine in the morning contains maximum amounts of hCG hormone.

Test Sensitivity: If the pregnancy test shows very faint pink line, the test may not be very sensitive. Hence, for earliest detection of pregnancy buy a sensitive test which turns positive even if low amount of hormone is present. A good thumb rule is that buy a test with lower sensitivity number, i.e. a test with a sensitivity of 20 IU/L will detect whether a woman is pregnant sooner than a test with a sensitivity of 50 IU/L.

Evaporation Line: Generally the reaction time for most pregnancy tests is 5 minutes, hence, one should read the results within the mentioned reaction time, else the urine will dry up on the test area and evaporation lines begin to show up. Hence, appearance of a very faint line on pregnancy test after 10 minutes, is not an indication of a positive pregnancy rather it is an evaporation line.

Chemical Pregnancy: Another unfortunate cause is a chemical pregnancy, also called an early miscarriage. Herein, initially an early pregnancy is detected but later after a couple of days, the test shows negative pregnancy results. This happens when the egg doesn't grow normally after implanting to the uterus lining, which results in an early miscarriage.

Using an expired pregnancy test, certain pregnancy related medications, or not following the test instructions properly, i.e., reading the test results before the stipulated reaction time can also contribute to the faint line. Hence, in order to confirm your pregnancy, don't be in a hurry, wait for some time till the hCG hormone rises to a sufficient level and then conduct the test, or else verify your pregnancy through a doctor or a medical practitioner.