Pregnancy test negative. One line on a pregnancy test
Pregnancy planning is an important period in a woman's life. And often you want to know about the result as soon as possible. Until recently, pregnancy was defined by signs such as missed periods, morning sickness, and breast enlargement.
But in the case of an irregular cycle, it is difficult to predict the exact date of the onset of menstruation. And bad health and nausea, changes in the body and mood occur in other situations. They are typical, for example, for severe premenstrual syndrome.
Are there reliable methods for determining pregnancy in the early stages?
Definition of pregnancy
There are two methods for determining conception with almost 100% results. This is a blood test for chorionic gonadotropin and ultrasound of the uterus.
Chorionic gonadotropin is a substance that is produced in the body of a woman almost from conception. There are some pathological processes in which it will also occur in the blood, but these are rare cases.
Ultrasound and determination of human chorionic gonadotropin are not routine procedures. They involve going to the clinic, taking blood or waiting for a certain period, which is not always convenient. Sometimes their cost is quite high. It is much easier to use a pregnancy test in the early stages.
Chorionic gonadotropin
If the result of the analysis for chorionic gonadotropin is positive, there is no doubt about the presence of pregnancy. For greater reliability, it is determined after 48 hours, and with a doubling of the result, a normally proceeding pregnancy is confirmed.
Hormonal analysis is informative almost from the first weeks of pregnancy (gestation).
ultrasound
Unlike a blood test, the result of conception with ultrasound can be seen with your own eyes and even determine the heartbeat. Ultrasound practically does not allow dual interpretation. But reliable results of ultrasound are only after a certain period.
As a rule, before the fifth week of gestation, even on the best device, it is difficult to see anything, which is why an ultrasound scan is recommended two to three weeks after the delay in menstruation or the appearance of clear signs of pregnancy.
Pharmacy tests
Modern tests are sold in any pharmacy, and their range is extremely diverse. They can be cheap or expensive, with varying degrees of sensitivity and different applications. Common to all tests are the availability and principle of operation. It is based on the detection of the level of chorionic gonadotropin in the urine of a woman - the so-called indicator method.
The indicator can only respond to a certain concentration of the hormone. If the result is positive, then the chorionic hormone is present in the body, and conception has occurred. False-positive qualitative tests cannot be, since they only react to the presence of a certain substance.
Is it possible to have a negative pregnancy test?
Negative analysis
Cases when the test is negative, but there is pregnancy, are not uncommon. On the contrary, it is quite a common situation. Some manufacturers even produce two indicators per package - for re-determination.
But often women use 3-5 tests before they see the desired result. Why can this happen?
How the indicator works
As soon as the level of chorionic gonadotropin reaches a certain level - the threshold - it begins to interact with the indicator substance in the test. This manifests itself in the form of a positive result - the second strip, plus sign or the word "pregnant". The threshold is considered to be a hormone level of 10 mIU / ml and above.
Before this period, the use of analyzers is unjustified, since their result will be negative in any case.
In addition, for home analysis, not blood is used, but urine. And the content of chorionic gonadotropin in it will change - depending on the concentration. The longer a woman has not urinated, the greater the amount of the hormone will be. And vice versa - measuring the hormone level after a recent visit to the toilet will lead to a false negative result.
Reasons for the negative answer
A negative pregnancy test can be due to many factors. Most often this happens for the following reasons:
- The test was used too early.
- The discrepancy between the term of conception and the expectations of a woman due to a failure in the cycle.
- Low sensitivity of the indicator.
- Wrong use of the test.
- Poor quality or counterfeit analyzers.
- Pathologies of pregnancy.
For timely and correct execution analysis, you need to have a good understanding of how pharmacy tests work, as well as follow the rules for operating test systems. This will avoid erroneous results, save money and prevent the expectant mother from being upset in vain.
Early use of the test
A concentration of 10 mIU / ml is usually 3-5 days before the expected delay in menstruation, provided that the concentration of gonadotropin in the urine is maximum. At this time, only highly sensitive analyzers can determine conception, but the probability of error is still quite high.
If a woman is really looking forward to a positive result, she begins to feel signs of pregnancy almost immediately after intercourse. She may have chest pain and nausea. Why this happens is difficult to explain. Most likely, the principle of self-hypnosis works.
But even with such obvious signs, the test will remain negative until the right amount of the hormone is produced.
It does not make much sense to use a pharmacy indicator before a delay in menstruation. Pregnancy with a negative test is possible, but for a woman it will be an additional reason for unnecessary unrest.
Conception mismatch
Conception does not always coincide with sexual intercourse. It is possible only after a recent ovulation. Fertilization occurs when the male and female gametes meet in the fallopian tube. And this can happen even a week after sex.
With an irregular cycle, delayed ovulation is common. If a woman does not feel its signs and does not measure the basal temperature, she can only determine the time of the release of the egg. And the expected delay in menstruation can be very different from the real one. In this situation, the tests may remain negative for a long time.
Low test sensitivity
Pharmacy analyzers respond to different concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin in the urine. Depending on this, the following types of tests are distinguished:
- Low sensitive. They will show a positive result only if the hormone content in the urine reaches a level of 25 mIU / ml and above. You need to use them from the first day of the delay in menstruation and collect morning urine for analysis.
- Medium sensitivity. These indicators respond to the content of gonadotropin in the range of 15-20 mIU / ml. You can check the success of conception with their help 1-2 days before the expected delay. It is desirable to use urine in the morning, although according to the instructions, the analysis can be carried out at any time.
- highly sensitive tests. These include indicators that capture the concentration of the hormone at 10 mIU / ml. They are used at any time of the day starting from 5-7 days before the expected delay.
The use of low-sensitivity analyzers before a missed period is likely to lead to a false negative result. The same may be the case when the determination of the hormone is carried out in the evening or daytime.
Medium-sensitive tests may show an incorrect result if the menstrual cycle is disturbed - late ovulation, as well as in a situation where a woman has consumed a lot of fluid before analysis, and the concentration of gonadotropin has decreased.
The sensitivity of the analyzers is indicated on their packaging or in the instructions.
Misuse of tests
In order to avoid the most common mistakes in analysis, it is necessary to know why they occur and how to use different types of indicators.
According to their design and method of use, analyzers are divided into the following groups:
- Paper test strips.
- Inkjet determinants of pregnancy.
- Cassette analyzers.
- Electronic devices.
Paper indicators
This is the most budget and affordable option. They are usually low or medium sensitive. For analysis, the paper strip with the indicator end should be dipped into a glass of urine for a few seconds, then put on a flat, dry surface and evaluate the result after three or five minutes.
In the case of clear two stripes on the indicator edge, you can rejoice. If the second strip is not clearly visible, the result is classified as weakly positive and it is recommended to repeat it in a day or two. Most often in such situations, pregnancy is confirmed.
A false negative answer when using paper indicators can be for the following reasons:
- The strip was lowered into the container with a non-indicating end. Arrows are usually marked on the right side of the test. If the analysis is carried out incorrectly, there will be no changes on the indicator, which can be mistakenly interpreted as a negative answer.
- The indicator was too little in the urine container. If for some reason the analysis is carried out quickly, in a hurry, a small amount of the hormone will fall on the indicator area, which will lead to unreliable indicators.
- Evaluation was carried out after 1–2 minutes. This time is not enough for a full reaction of chorionic gonadotropin with an indicator. Sometimes the test is evaluated after a long time - half an hour or more. This can also be the cause of an erroneous indicator.
- Fuzzy stripe. Sometimes the second strip is much paler than the control. This occurs when the hormone content in the urine is low. And such a result is erroneously interpreted as negative.
Inkjet determinants
These tests are among the most practical. Urine does not need to be collected during this analysis. It enters the indicator area directly during urination. Inkjet tests are highly sensitive and medium sensitive.
Erroneous answers when using them are less common and are mainly associated with incorrect determination of the timing of conception and too early analysis.
A false-negative jet test can be in the case of taking a large amount of liquid the day before and when using diuretics or herbal decoctions with a similar effect.
Also, the answer may turn out to be erroneous if not enough urine has fallen on the indicator area.
Plate analyzers and electronic systems
These are pregnancy determinants that are rarely found in pharmacies. Their cost is quite high, and the probability of error is minimal. But even such expensive analyzers can show a false negative answer. Why is this happening?
Causes of quality test failures are as follows:
- Late analysis.
- Violation of the rules for storage and transportation of tests.
- Expired date.
- Conducting an analysis some time after urination. In the collected urine, substances begin to precipitate, and their concentration changes. Analyzers in this case will show a negative result even with a high content of chorionic gonadotropin.
- Fake analyzer. Unfortunately, counterfeit medicines and tests in recent times occurs quite often.
Pathologies of pregnancy
Pregnancy doesn't always go perfectly. chronic diseases, constant stress, workload lead to various violations. There are pathological conditions in which the production of human chorionic gonadotropin is significantly reduced or even stops, despite successful conception.
Most often this happens when the following pathologies occur:
- Risk of miscarriage.
- Frozen pregnancy.
- Ectopic pregnancy.
Risk of miscarriage
Currently, doctors do not recommend keeping a pregnancy in case of a threat of termination in the early stages. But if the child is very desirable for a woman, she must know the symptoms of this pathology in order to avoid miscarriage. You can suspect a threat of interruption by the following signs:
- Drawing pains in the back and lower abdomen.
- Bloody vaginal discharge.
- A negative test with a significant and continuing delay in menstruation.
Frozen pregnancy
Sometimes pregnancy stops in its development. And, although the fetal egg still remains in the uterine cavity and can be seen with ultrasound, the production of chorionic gonadotropin stops. In this case, the analysis will show a negative answer, even if it was previously positive.
A test in dynamics is used if a missed pregnancy is suspected, if a woman has too little time to perform an ultrasound scan.
It is possible to suspect a frozen pregnancy if the symptoms of toxicosis suddenly disappeared, the chest decreased and stopped hurting.
Ectopic pregnancy
Despite the fact that during an ectopic pregnancy, the fetus develops in the early stages, the increase in chorionic gonadotropin is much slower. And the test can remain negative 7-10 days after a missed period.
Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy depend on the stage of its development. If the fallopian tube ruptures, there will be a sharp pain in the lower abdomen or in the side, loss of consciousness due to bleeding into the abdominal cavity is possible. With a developing ectopic pregnancy, the symptoms of toxicosis will persist, but the increase in chorionic gonadotropin, according to the analyzes, will turn out to be too slow or negative. And the ultrasound will not show the fetal egg in the uterus.
The pathological course of pregnancy is not so common and almost never asymptomatic.
Do not worry ahead of time if the test suddenly turned out to be negative. Perhaps it was simply carried out too early. And with repeated analysis, the desired result will not be long in coming.
Expecting a baby is the most wonderful time for every mom. But if you can’t conceive for a long time, then at the slightest delay, the girl grabs the test and conducts a study that gives a negative result. Often it turns out that pregnancy is detected with a negative test. This is quite possible, but only a doctor can finally refute or confirm the fact of an accomplished conception.
When planning, it is important to determine the most favorable period for conception.
Thanks to the invention of express tests, a girl can find out about an interesting situation much earlier than a gynecologist tells her about it. The mechanism of operation of all express tests is absolutely the same - they act on the determination of chorionic gonadotropic hormone in female urine, which begins production from the moment the embryo is implanted in the uterine body.
Girls, which is quite natural, are very interested in the question of when the use of an express test shows the most accurate results, because it happens that a negative test is obtained during pregnancy. After implantation, the level of hCG begins to rise rapidly, but in the first days after conception, only specialists can determine an interesting situation through special laboratory research blood. Such tests help to determine that a girl is pregnant, even five days before it can be done with a pregnancy test.
Most test express systems can detect an interesting position already on the first day of the delay. The degree of informativeness depends on the index of sensitivity to the chorionic hormone, which is 10, 15 or 25 mUI. Although many experts argue that the claimed figure of 10 mUI is just a publicity stunt, as well as the fact that conception tests can detect even before the delay.
When Testing Might Give False Negative Results
The simplest test systems are made from paper, which is the simplest option. Such a strip is lowered into the urine, and then after five minutes to see the result. According to statistics, such systems most often do not show pregnancy even on the first day of delay, when hCG is still not high enough.
Test systems are also inkjet, tablet, electronic. Each of the varieties has its own disadvantages and advantages. Jet, for example, are convenient in that they do not require separate collection of urine. Some models can even determine the approximate timing of gestation. And digital test systems have a diagnostic accuracy of 99% already 3-4 days before the delay, they are considered the most reliable. There are situations when there is a pregnancy, but the test is negative. This phenomenon has various reasons.
Early diagnosis
The most common factor explaining why a false-negative pregnancy test happens is that the diagnosis is too early term gestation. Normally, the content of chorionic gonadotropic hormone by the time the delay is detected is already increasing so much that it becomes easy to establish conception. But sometimes in the first days of gestation, these indicators remain quite low, then the test shows a negative result.
- Every girl knows the date of the upcoming menstruation, if her cycle is regular and functions like a clock. But with an irregular cycle or the presence of any pathology, it can be quite difficult to determine the delay.
- Sometimes, even during a normal cycle, ovulation shifts can occur, then with a delay, the gestation period will be calculated by several days, hCG will not have time to reach a detectable level. In such a situation, it is likely that testing will show pregnancy with a negative test.
- HCG begins to be produced in the body from the first day of implantation. It will be possible to detect this hormonal substance in urine after a few days, but so far in low concentrations.
- As for the timing, the gonadotropic hormone is detected in the bloodstream a week after conception, and in urine - after one and a half to two weeks.
At first, hCG during pregnancy grows quite rapidly, but when the placental tissues are finally formed, they will take over the functions of producing hormonal substances, so the growth rate of the chorionic hormone drops.
bad urine
It is important to drink enough fluids
Another reason why the test does not show pregnancy may be bad or incorrectly collected urine. Excessive fluid intake, taking diuretic drugs - these factors lead to dilution of urine concentration, so the reagent used in test systems cannot detect the hormone and during pregnancy the test may be negative. For reliable results, it is recommended to test in the early morning, when the content of chorionic gonadotropin in the urine reaches its maximum values. At the same time, you should not take diuretics, eat watermelons or drink plenty of fluids in the evening.
In addition, the possibility of a false negative test cannot be ruled out if there is a violation of urine collection or testing in the evening during the first couple of days of delay, when there is still very little of the desired hormone in the urine. A week later, the content of gonadotropic chorionic hormone will rise so much that the test will not distort anything, showing a reliable result, because it can detect the hormone even in highly diluted urine.
Violation of the rules for using the test
Failure to follow the recommendations specified in the instructions attached to the express test may lead to the presence of all signs of pregnancy, but the test will be negative. There are many different test systems, they work on the same principle, but there may be some differences in their use. For example, strip strips need to be dipped into the urine for a few seconds, and inkjet tests are substituted under the stream when urinating.
Tablet express systems have a window where you need to drop a few drops of urine with a special pipette, and electronic ones - the most accurate, convenient and expensive ones - are also substituted under the stream for a few seconds. In the latter case, testing shows not only the fact of conception, but also when a woman could become pregnant. Such an express system cannot fail to show conception, if any.
Usually, for any type of device, positive results are shown with a plus sign, and negative results with a minus sign. But before using the device, it is recommended that you carefully read the instructions, which are usually detailed on the package or attached inside in the annotation. Some modern test systems have non-standard results designations like emoticons or phrases. Therefore, if the tests are negative, and there are signs of gestation, it is worth repeating the diagnosis later with a device from another manufacturer.
Pathologies of the excretory system
In what cases does the test not show pregnancy when it is clearly taking place?
- Experts say that such errors are possible if any pathological processes occur in the female body.
- For example, with some renal pathologies (nephrosis, nephritis, etc.) lead to the fact that an increase in the content of chorionic gonadotropic hormone in urine does not occur, as it should be normal, so pregnancy is not detected.
- Also, sometimes tests do not show a conception that has occurred if a woman suffers from any pathologies that lead to the presence of protein in urine, which is quite likely with stress, poor nutrition, and taking certain medications.
- Sometimes a girl collects urine in a container, but then some circumstances appear that lead to a delay in testing, i.e., urine stands at room temperature for some time, and is used after two to three hours. Can a pregnancy test be wrong in such a situation? Most likely the result will be wrong. If stale urine is used for the study, then the results are highly likely to be false negative.
- False-negative results of such testing can lead to cardiovascular pathologies or recent serious illnesses.
Therefore, if you suspect the unreliability of the data obtained, it is recommended to contact specialists.
Deviations in pregnancy
It is dangerous to ignore suspicious symptoms
Can tests fail to show pregnancy for any other reason? This is quite possible with deviations in fetal development, which are accompanied by insufficient production of chorionic gonadotropic hormone. If there is confidence in an interesting position, and the test does not show conception, then it is likely that the patient has problems like frozen fetal development, threats of interruption in the first weeks, abnormal placental development, etc.
In addition, when all symptoms are present, and the tests still cannot detect conception, the causes may be due to an ectopic fixation of the ovum or chronic placental insufficiency. It is considered a particularly alarming sign if all the pregnant symptoms suddenly stop abruptly. This condition requires urgent medical attention.
Any deviation in the development of gestation may be accompanied by a reduced production of gonadotropic chorionic hormone, therefore, home express systems may not show the presence of pregnancy. The reasons for this can only be determined with the help of a thorough and extensive diagnosis.
Poor quality test
If the test just purchased at the pharmacy can still be trusted, then you should not particularly believe in the one that has been lying around in the first-aid kit or in your purse for a long time. Why tests in this case can be wrong? Simply non-compliance with storage conditions, when the express test was exposed to high humidity, a sharp temperature drop, or simply expired, leads to damage to the device and unreliable results. Therefore, you should not buy such devices for the future, it is better to purchase express tests immediately before use, avoiding their storage for a long time.
It is also worth paying attention to the quality of test systems. There are frequent situations when one test did not show conception for a long time, and a device from another manufacturer showed pregnancy from the first use. This happens due to the fact that some tests are of high quality, others are not very good. Or the sensitivity of devices of one manufacturer is much higher than another. You should not pay special attention to the cost of express systems, because both inexpensive tests and those with a rather high cost can be of the same quality.
Delay, and the result is negative
One of characteristic features pregnancy is a menstrual delay. But sometimes, even with such a symptom, testing does not reveal the presence of conception. This is possible for various reasons.
- At hormonal disruptions that occur against the background of climate change, health disorders, physical overwork, sudden changes in weight or moral overload, etc.
- If the test does not detect conception during delays, then it is quite possible that the girl had an ovulatory period a few days later, therefore, conception also occurred later, and the hCG content has not yet reached the level determined by the test reagent.
- After a miscarriage, it is also possible that there will be a delay due to the absence of menstruation.
- With sexual pathologies such as ovarian cysts, myomatous formations, infectious lesions or oncology of the uterine neck, the absence of menstruation is also likely, while testing will show one strip.
If testing over and over again reports the absence of gestation, then you should contact a specialist and undergo an examination. There can be many explanations, so each situation requires an individual assessment of a specialist and examination.
Testing for ectopic
Pathology is difficult to detect soon after conception
If there is ectopic gestation, then it is almost impossible to recognize deviations in the early stages. The girl during the entire period of gestation may not even be aware of the deviation, but sometimes she experiences all the pregnancy symptoms, which prompts testing, which for some reason gives a negative result.
An ectopic is incredibly dangerous, because already at a period of 7 weeks, she herself declares herself by breaking through the tubal canal, which leads to heavy blood loss, which is deadly for the patient. Unfortunately, experts have not yet come up with such a test that could detect an ectopic pregnancy, but it may well hint about itself with specific symptoms such as painful pulling sensations in the abdomen and brownish bloody discharge.
Therefore, at the first suspicious manifestations, it is recommended to contact an obstetrician-gynecologist and undergo an ultrasound examination, which will help to detect the location of the fetal egg outside the uterine body.
Test time
There is a lot of controversy among experts about the fact that the reliability of testing is also affected by the time of its conduct. The instructions say that it is recommended to test in the early morning with the first portion of urine. Regardless of how much conception and gestation is desirable for the patient, any lady wants to know about this event as early as possible.
When is the best time to do research? This is easier to understand if you understand the formation of hormones in urine at different times of the day. The fact is that in the morning after a night's sleep, the concentration of gonadotropic chorionic hormone sufficient to be detected by home express strips accumulates in the bladder in the bladder. If, however, testing is carried out at a different time of the day, when the girl has already eaten or drank a lot of liquid, then the content of hCG in urine drops, and therefore it is quite difficult to detect it.
Therefore, in the early stages of gestation, it is recommended to diagnose pregnancy in the morning for a full bladder. And only if this condition is met, the girl can be sure of the reliability and complete information content of the study. In addition, only fresh biomaterial and a high-quality test device should be used.
What to do?
If testing does not detect conception, but there is a delay and other signs of an interesting situation, then the girl should use the following recommendations:
- Re-diagnose after a few days, it is better to use test devices different manufacturers, then the probability of obtaining an accurate, reliable result will be as high as possible.
- If you have passed several test checks, and the results still do not change, then it is better to donate blood for the determination of gonadotropic chorionic hormone, because it appears in the bloodstream a week earlier than in urine.
- To clarify the situation, it would be useful to undergo ultrasound diagnostics, examine the uterine cavity and neighboring organs in order to exclude the possibility of an ectopic location of the fetal egg.
Pass an ultrasound, check hCG in the blood and other studies are available in any laboratory, and you won’t have to wait too long to get the results. Therefore, there is no need to speculate and guess whether there is a pregnancy or it is absent. Only experts will help the girl to clarify the situation.
May show incorrect results. The entire set of pregnancy test errors is usually divided into two types - false positive and false negative results. False-positive results include the detection of pregnancy in a non-pregnant woman. And false negative results include, respectively, the failure to detect pregnancy in a woman who actually became pregnant.
False positive pregnancy test results may be due to the following causal factors:
- The use of drugs to stimulate ovulation containing human chorionic gonadotropin (for example, Profazi, Pregnil, Ovitrel, etc.);
- Various tumor formations of the uterus, ovaries, kidneys, lungs and intestines;
- Increased production of chorionic gonadotropin in brain structures - the pituitary gland, for example, with tumors or traumatic brain injuries;
- kidney disease;
- Childbirth, abortion or miscarriage less than 1 month ago.
False negative pregnancy test errors can be due to the following reasons:
- Too early analysis;
- Diluted urine;
- Incorrect analysis.
The most common false positive and false negative pregnancy test errors are due to the following causative factors:
1. Too little pregnancy. If a test with a sensitivity of 20 - 25 IU / l is used, then it will only be able to correctly diagnose the presence of pregnancy for a period of at least three weeks. Thus, this type of test can only be done 15 to 17 days after the last unprotected intercourse. If the test is done before the 15th day from the moment of the alleged conception, he will show a negative result, that is, he will be mistaken. Due to the fact that sexual contact, which resulted in pregnancy, could occur literally 1 to 2 days before the estimated date of the next menstruation, doctors and scientists recommend doing a test with a sensitivity of 25 IU / l no earlier than 2 weeks of delay. In this case, the test will fail. If a pregnancy test with a sensitivity of 10 IU / L is used, then it must be done 7 to 10 days after unprotected intercourse. However, if a woman became pregnant 2 days before the start of the next menstruation, then on the 2nd - 3rd day of the delay, the test will show a negative result, since 7 - 10 days have not yet passed from the moment of conception. That is, the test will fail. That is why doctors recommend doing a test with a sensitivity of 10 IU / L only after 7 days of delayed menstruation;
2. Unsatisfactory quality of urine. For a pregnancy test, morning urine should be used, since it is in it that the maximum concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin. During the day, a woman can drink a lot, as a result of which the urine is diluted, and the concentration of gonadotropin decreases. In such a situation, a pregnancy test will determine the concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin in dilute urine and may be mistaken by showing a negative result;
3. Incorrect use of a pregnancy test. The test should be done strictly according to the instructions, and the result should be evaluated after a specified period of time. If the test was performed incorrectly, the result may be erroneous;
4. Kidney disease. With kidney pathology, the level of chorionic gonadotropin in the urine during pregnancy may not increase. In this case, the test will show a negative result, even if everything is done correctly, that is, it will make a mistake;
5. pathology of pregnancy. The test may fail if the pregnancy is ectopic or there is a threat of miscarriage;
6. Weak attachment of the fetus to the wall of the uterus. In this case, there is pregnancy, but chorionic gonadotropin is not produced in sufficient quantities. That is, the result of the pregnancy test will be negative and, accordingly, erroneous.
Pregnancy test and laboratory methods for studying pregnancy
Morning sickness, increased appetite, dizziness - these symptoms definitely make anyone think: "I'm pregnant." And if the menstruation is also delayed - a direct road to the pharmacy for a test.
It does not matter whether you are pleased or upset that there is only one strip, you should not postpone a visit to the gynecologist. Because, there are many reasons why it is simply unreliable. A pregnancy test may show a negative result if available. Let's consider in what cases.
Reasons for delay without pregnancy
If, as they say, the Reds did not come. And even if they linger for a long time, do not rush to ask your mother to knit booties and please your other half. The absence of menstruation is not always a sign that there is a pregnancy. The reasons may be different:
- female diseases, for example, inflammation of the ovaries;
- strict diets;
- permanent food restrictions;
- stress;
- deep depressive states;
- great physical activity;
- hormonal disbalance.
If your period is late and the test is negative, see your doctor. Because it can be a sign of a serious illness. And only a specialist can determine exactly why the test shows a negative result in the absence of regular periods.
And be sure to tie with such diets, avoid stressful situations. Even if you are not expecting a baby now, it will happen. You need to take care of yourself and take care of your health so that in the future there will be no problems when conceiving and bearing crumbs.
How to use the test correctly?
In most cases, during pregnancy, the test shows a negative result for a technical reason. Namely, if it is of poor quality, or incorrectly applied. The test may be out of date, damaged, or stored in improper conditions.
Basic Rules:
- Before you start testing, carefully read the instructions. Even if you are not doing it for the first time.
- Do the analysis in the morning, immediately after waking up. She opened her eyes, got up, did the test. Then breakfast, washing and so on.
- Use only clean and dry dishes. Wash the container in advance in the evening and be sure to rinse and wipe dry in the morning.
- Evaluate the result exactly after the specified time. This is the most important rule. Record the time and watch it carefully. This is important for an adequate assessment of the result. Note that the test loses its diagnostic value after ten minutes.
If the second strip on the test is barely visible, there is a pregnancy. In the early stages, pregnancy with a negative test is possible. At the beginning of fetal development, the amount of hCG in a woman's blood is small, so the test may show a negative result. It is recommended to repeat it after three days. If the second test did not give a positive result, do not immediately think that you are not expecting a baby.
Negative result
Can there be pregnancy with a negative test if it is used correctly and repeatedly? Yes, it is quite possible. If it seems that you are expecting a baby, and at the same time the delay in menstruation is long, consult a doctor. There are a number of reasons why the test will not show a positive result.
Taking medications, diuretics before testing in the early stages can affect the result. As a whole and plentiful drink. If a pregnant woman drank a lot of liquid the day before, then you should not count on an adequate response. Since the amount of hCG in dilute urine is much less.
If you suspect that you are expecting a baby, and today's test did not confirm this, remember how much liquid you drank the day before. If you were tormented by unquenchable thirst or your evening tea with your mother in the kitchen was longer than usual, the test may not have been able to determine pregnancy because of this. In this case, you can repeat the test tomorrow morning.
An alarming reason for the absence of a second strip on the test may be the pathology of the development of the unborn child or problems in the body of the woman herself. In addition to incorrect use of the test or its poor quality, the causes of one strip during pregnancy can be serious. So, the reasons for a negative test in the presence of pregnancy, due to serious problems:
- kidney disease in women. If they do not work properly, the amount of hCG in the blood is much less. Because of this, it may simply be insufficient for a positive diagnosis.
- Anomalies in the development of the fetus. They can be genetic in nature, associated with the wrong number of chromosomes in a child, or acquired. The latter are influenced by external factors for the fetus. Such as the mother's diet, external physical influences.
- Pathologies associated with the formation of the placenta, and its detachment. For this phenomenon, the cause can be a wide range of reasons related to both external influences and heredity, the general health of the woman and previous pregnancies.
- Frozen pregnancy. In the early stages - this is an empty fetal egg. When fertilization went well, but the embryo does not develop. The reasons for this phenomenon may be related to the lifestyle and general health of the mother. The most dangerous factors that can trigger freezing are stress, alcohol and smoking.
- Risk of miscarriage. Most often, in the early stages, this occurs due to the genetic incompatibility of the parents or the incompatibility of the Rh factor of the blood. Another influencing factor is the irregular structure of the woman's uterus.
- Development of an ectopic pregnancy. Its diagnosis is often complicated by the fact that there is no delay in the menstrual cycle. That is, in fact, there may not be any apparent reason to suspect this particular condition. If the cycle is regular, then the woman may not even think about whether pregnancy is possible with a negative test. Therefore, the main advice: for any suspicion of pregnancy or simply for symptoms uncharacteristic of a healthy state, urgently make an appointment with a gynecologist.
It doesn't matter if you want a child or not. Whether this second strip on the test is treasured or frightening. The main thing is to be able to behave correctly in her absence. Namely, do not rejoice or cry, but consult a gynecologist. Both with a positive result, which is natural, and with a negative one. After all, if you bought a test, then there is reason to believe that something is happening to the body. And the rapid test, as it is already clear, is not the main arbiter in this matter. You may be pregnant even though it only has one stripe.
Usually women do a pregnancy test if menstruation should have already begun, but for some reason it does not. If during the cycle there was unprotected intercourse, doubts immediately arise about conception.
Modern diagnostic devices lie extremely rarely, but it happens. Potential expectant mothers begin to doubt their performance if they notice all the early signs of pregnancy - nausea, breast enlargement, intolerance to certain smells - and the product still betrays only one strip.
Then they begin to worry about the question: can a test show a negative result during pregnancy? Maybe. In gynecology, there is even a special term that describes this situation - false negative. Let's figure out why this happens.
Pregnant or not?
Why is a pregnancy test negative during pregnancy
All pregnancy tests are based on the determination of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the urine. This hormone begins to be produced immediately after conception. It turns out that if the diagnostic device does not detect hCG, it means that it is simply not in the biological fluid. Or the second option - the test itself is faulty or incorrectly used.
Inadequate quality of the test used
A poor-quality test is the most common cause of a false negative result. And it's not always the manufacturer's fault. The product may simply not be stored properly. Therefore, to improve the accuracy of diagnosis, gynecologists often recommend buying and doing two tests from different companies at once.
Expired date
Before opening and using a pregnancy test, you need to see until what date it is valid. It is almost impossible to buy an expired product in a pharmacy. But many women (especially those who plan to conceive) stock up on diagnostic devices for the future. Therefore, it is possible that by the time of use the test will be overdue.
False negative pregnancy test
Errors during diagnostics
In order not to personally encounter a situation where there is a pregnancy and the test is negative, you need to follow the instructions on the package. Today on sale are different types products. They differ from each other not only in design, price and appearance, but also by the time that the strip must be in direct contact with urine, the number of minutes during which the result is considered correct.
If the test is overexposed in the body fluid or immersed too deeply in it, the result may be a false negative. The same thing happens if, after use and receiving a response, the product is not thrown away, but stored for several hours. Due to prolonged contact with air, the sensitive area of the device may begin to oxidize. Then the second strip, confirming the fact of conception, disappears, or vice versa.
Performing diagnostic testing too early
It also happens that the answer to the question why a pregnancy test shows a negative result is that it is used too early. Women who really want to become mothers are sensitive to their well-being. Sometimes it seems to them that they have signs of pregnancy almost immediately after ovulation, which, of course, cannot be.
The longer the gestation period, the brighter the second strip
Then they start doing pregnancy tests without waiting for the first day of delay. During this period, the concentration of hCG may still be too low for the device to “catch” it. To eliminate this error, you just need to wait a bit and re-diagnose after 3-4 days.
Use of diuretic tablets
In order for a pregnancy test to give a correct answer, urine must be morning. Its first daily portion contains the largest amount of the hCG hormone. But if a woman takes diuretic pills before testing, the body fluid is updated too often. Then it simply does not have the concentration of hCG that the test used can fix.
With this in mind, one day before the diagnosis, you need to stop taking the diuretic.
Diseases of the urinary system
As practice shows, the test can be negative during pregnancy if a woman has any disease of the urinary system, inflammation of the kidneys, a violation of their filtering ability. Then all the products formed as a result of metabolic reactions are retained in the blood, and do not enter the urine. Therefore, although hCG is produced by the body, it is not in the biological fluid.
Kidney failure is the cause of a false negative pregnancy test
To cause a violation of renal filtration, in addition to these, diseases can:
- arterial hypertension;
- atherosclerosis;
- heart failure.
If future mother has a tumor, she has recently had a concussion or suffers from epilepsy, there may be too much protein in her urine. Then the sensitive zone of the test also sometimes does not recognize the hCG hormone, which means that the result will be negative despite the fact that the baby is already growing and developing in the mother's womb.
Use of hormonal pills
A pregnancy test can be deceiving if a girl is undergoing hormone therapy. Then the ratio of biologically active substances produced by specialized cells of the endocrine glands changes greatly. This leads to a false negative result.
Ectopic pregnancy
Pathologies of pregnancy as the cause of a negative test
Sometimes the fault of a false negative test is the complications that arose after conception. So, for example, if a fertilized egg is fixed outside the uterine cavity, the level of hCG rises more slowly than usual. As a result, there is a delay, and the diagnostic result is negative.
Also very serious anomalies are:
- frozen pregnancy (if the embryo stops growing and dies, the concentration of chorionic gonadotropin begins to gradually decrease);
- poor-quality attachment of the fetal egg to the uterine wall (miscarriage is about to occur);
- chronic placental insufficiency.
In all of these situations, even the most expensive and highly accurate pregnancy test, which has been used properly, can give a false negative result.
If in doubt, you need to visit a gynecologist
Testing after in vitro fertilization
Women who have undergone IVF are always looking forward to the moment when the situation becomes clear - it will be possible to understand whether the embryo has attached. And this is where a pregnancy test helps. It doesn’t matter if the baby was conceived naturally or with the help of modern reproductive technologies. When it begins to grow, the female body immediately starts the process of producing hCG.
So that the study does not lead to a false negative result, it is recommended to conduct it two weeks after embryo replanting. Not earlier. Otherwise, you can get the wrong answer and get upset in vain.
There is no need to worry if a test purchased at a pharmacy gives mixed results. You should go to a medical clinic and take a blood test from a vein. It will help to understand whether to be a replenishment in the family or not.