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A pregnancy with a negative test is also known as a false-negative test. This is when you take a pregnancy test, as you may have started to experience pregnancy symptoms, such as morning sickness or have tender breasts, but the test result comes out as negative.
You’re now probably left wondering whether the test can be trusted or not or if you’re experiencing a phantom pregnancy, because you’re pretty certain that you are pregnant, so why is the test showing up as negative instead of positive?
There’s a few reasons, from you taking the test too early to certain pregnancy hormones not being detected properly. We have the answer all your questions around false-negative pregnancy tests.
You can absolutely be pregnant when testing negative on a pregnancy test. Pregnancy tests are not 100% accurate and a negative result does not confirm that you are not pregnant.
A false negative result, when you are actually pregnant but the test says you are not, can happen for a number of reasons. When you are pregnant a hormone called HCG is produced as the fertilized egg implants and the placenta is formed. This hormone is produced in .small amounts on day one but increases rapidly over a short period of time in early pregnancy. The earlier a test is performed the higher the risk of it not detecting the small amounts of HCG, thus producing a false negative result. Likewise, the later a test is performed the higher the chance of getting a more accurate result. You may also get a false negative result from tests that are out of date, or from those that have not been stored or used correctly.
A missed or late period is often the first sign of a pregnancy, but your pregnancy test may show a negative result, so what does this mean? It could be that the level of HCG, that unique pregnancy hormone, is too low to be detected when you do the test.
It could also mean that you may not be pregnant, and your missed or delayed period is the result of one of the following:
• Your periods may not have returned or may be irregular if you are breastfeeding.
• Some medications including contraception can cause irregularities in your cycle.
• Medical conditions including thyroid problems or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome can cause irregular or missed periods.
• Stress and other lifestyle factors including major life changes can impact your cycle
If you have a late period with a negative pregnancy test, consider repeating the test a few days later and/or seeking medical advice.
This will very much come down to when you tested: A negative result means the test has not detected HCG. If you tested before a missed period, your HCG hormone levels may be too low to be detected, so consider a repeat test on the first day of your missed period or 21 days after unprotected sex.
Overhydration may dilute your urine so much that HCG levels become undetectable, hence the advice in early days of testing to use an early morning sample when urine tends to be naturally more concentrated. Try more sensitive test sticks in early pregnancy, as these are designed to pick up lower HCG levels.
Consider seeking medical advice if you miss more than one period and still test negative, as you are unlikely to be pregnant and may need investigations. It might be a good idea to look at your lifestyle and make positive changes to reduce stress, improve nutrition and your general wellbeing.
When you are pregnant and a fertilized egg embeds itself into the lining of the uterus (womb) your body produces a unique hormone called Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG). HCG is present in your urine and your blood and so all pregnancy tests look for the presence of this hormone to produce a result.
For a urine based self-test, you simply pee onto the stick provided and follow the instructions for how long to wait and how to read the result. Some tests are so sensitive they can detect the presence of HCG before you have even missed a period. For a blood test, the lab will be looking for the presence and levels of HCG. Blood tests may be recommended for those women who, for health reasons, need to confirm their pregnancy immediately.
Some tests are so sensitive they can detect the presence of HCG before you have even missed a period. Home pregnancy tests can be carried out from the first day of a missed period or from 21 days after unprotected sex. There are some extremely sensitive pregnancy tests available that can be used before you even miss a period. However, it is worth noting that HCG may not be at detectable levels in the very early days of pregnancy, so a later test may be more accurate.
HCG in urine is often more concentrated in early morning samples during those early days. However, as the hormone increases rapidly, the longer it has been since a missed period the easier the hormone will be detected at any time of day by the test.
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