Home Pregnancy Tests: How Accurate Are They?
Have you ever had the signs of pregnancy showing all over you only to try out a home pregnancy test and get a disappointing one (1) blue line? What could be wrong with all the symptoms written all over you? Is it reasonable to have a pregnancy result that is positive display as negative? Let’s find out how to handle false-negative results as they seem to be rampant these days.
We will take a close view of the efficacy of the home pregnancy test kits; is it 100% accurate, or are there minor pitfalls linked with it.
When the Test Results are Negative – Did i Check too Early?
Some of the available home pregnancy kits for sale lately promise to give a valid or factual result all the time, even before your menses cease or stop. What can we say then, with so much confidence placed on it by the manufacturers? Should I trust a negative result from the kit?
No, it cannot be trusted. More importantly, the test results, even at this early stage, should not be wholly trusted; you should wait for a more extended period or after your period has stopped before getting a test. Why is it so? You may ask, it is because, after a long time, the fertilized egg is fused to the uterus lining during implantation.
his proceeds to shape and commence the production of pregnancy hormones (the human chorionic gonadotropin H.C.G.). These hormones later go into the bloodstream plus the Urine. The human chorionic hormones increase speedily at the beginning stage of pregnancy.
The concentration speeds up every two to three days; this is why you must wait a little longer before going for a test, and you are sure of a result you can confidently trust. But checking too early can give you a disappointing result, whereas there is nothing to be disappointed about if you wait and follow these simple steps.
Also, if you have the problem of seized menses or irregular menstruation, you may miscalculate your due date. Get a menstrual tracker and use it to keep a record of your menstruation days. The tracker is in a calendar format; sign the days your period began and when it ended for a proper understanding of your menstrual cycle.
If getting a test result of your pregnancy at the earliest stage is very important, visit a health care specialist and do a more approved pregnancy test. The lab gives a more reliable result. Urine is often used, but you could also give your blood, and your H.C.G. level will be determined, or you could do an ultrasound to determine whether or not you are pregnant.
No, it cannot be trusted. More importantly, the test results, even at this early stage, should not be wholly trusted; you should wait for a more extended period or after your period has stopped before getting a test. Why is it so? You may ask, it is because, after a long time, the fertilized egg is fused to the uterus lining during implantation.
his proceeds to shape and commence the production of pregnancy hormones (the human chorionic gonadotropin H.C.G.). These hormones later go into the bloodstream plus the Urine. The human chorionic hormones increase speedily at the beginning stage of pregnancy.
The concentration speeds up every two to three days; this is why you must wait a little longer before going for a test, and you are sure of a result you can confidently trust. But checking too early can give you a disappointing result, whereas there is nothing to be disappointed about if you wait and follow these simple steps.
Also, if you have the problem of seized menses or irregular menstruation, you may miscalculate your due date. Get a menstrual tracker and use it to keep a record of your menstruation days. The tracker is in a calendar format; sign the days your period began and when it ended for a proper understanding of your menstrual cycle.
If getting a test result of your pregnancy at the earliest stage is very important, visit a health care specialist and do a more approved pregnancy test. The lab gives a more reliable result. Urine is often used, but you could also give your blood, and your H.C.G. level will be determined, or you could do an ultrasound to determine whether or not you are pregnant.
How Do You Conduct Your Home Pregnancy Test?
There are several approved methods of checking for pregnancy. All these methods have diverse interpretation methods, so people tend to get confused about how to detect a positive or negative pregnancy result. Home testing kits are even more challenging to use; they have similar interpretations of both positive and negative results.
The color difference and how to effectively master the control line can be challenging for people who are color blind. Some specialists have said lines in the second window of the kit in this field, no matter how thin it is, mean that you are pregnant. The dullness of color in the second window is primarily due to the low concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin, which connotes that your pregnancy is still very early.
There are also extremely sensitive kits that can detect your pregnancy even in its earliest stage, but it takes an expert to understand how to use this well. However, the second window lines will brighten or appear very well if human Chorionic Gonadotropin’s concentration is high in your body.
The color difference and how to effectively master the control line can be challenging for people who are color blind. Some specialists have said lines in the second window of the kit in this field, no matter how thin it is, mean that you are pregnant. The dullness of color in the second window is primarily due to the low concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin, which connotes that your pregnancy is still very early.
There are also extremely sensitive kits that can detect your pregnancy even in its earliest stage, but it takes an expert to understand how to use this well. However, the second window lines will brighten or appear very well if human Chorionic Gonadotropin’s concentration is high in your body.
Is it Possible for the Home Pregnancy Test Kit to Be Faulty?
Pregnancy kits are mostly used at home. The test typically involves dipping a dipstick into your Urine after it has been poured into a bowl or downpour. Some moments later, the test result will be displayed in forms like a colored line depending on your pregnancy status.
It also can appear in written letters as pregnant or not pregnant. All Test kits have manuals attached mainly to give usage direction and method of getting your result accurately. You are to read through the manual and get the best formula for your kit. If, after following the given instructions and you discover an alteration in your displayed result after your test, then the test dipstick is faulty.
Still, if you made a mistake in your testing procedures as instructed in the manual, then your test is defective.
It also can appear in written letters as pregnant or not pregnant. All Test kits have manuals attached mainly to give usage direction and method of getting your result accurately. You are to read through the manual and get the best formula for your kit. If, after following the given instructions and you discover an alteration in your displayed result after your test, then the test dipstick is faulty.
Still, if you made a mistake in your testing procedures as instructed in the manual, then your test is defective.
How Accurate are Home Pregnancy Tests?
The manufacturers of the various test kits give it a high accuracy percentage of about 99%. It has been more challenging to understand by many users, maybe because of the different usage methods. Home pregnancy test kits can be accurate if kept under the right temperature and adequately taken care of.
Can My Medication Affect My Test Result?
People take different kinds of drugs, which sometimes have side effects. One of the drugs that can affect a pregnancy test is fertility drugs with their H.C.G. contents. Birth control pills, antibiotics, and others are in no way near the zone of your pregnancy test. Therefore, it can’t be affected.
Why was My Test Negative Yet Wrong?
It is good that we have complete trust in pharmaceutical companies and faith that whatever they provide is accurate and useful. Still, the truth is, there are various test kits with inaccurate results, so it is possible to get a false negative result. All this is dependent on product error or inappropriate handling by users. When you get a false negative result, it could be as a result of any of these below:
A) You conducted the test too early, which means your human chorionic gonadotropin is yet to accumulate much to yield a fast fertility result. So it’s best to wait for some time regardless of the symptoms you feel until you are sure the fertility drugs and the level of H.C.G. in your Urine are enough. If you are impatient about this, it is okay to speak with your doctor.
B) Another reason could be that you checked your result before the right time. Every test kit has its manual; check the manual and learn how to use it properly so you won’t remove the dipstick at the wrong time. Accurate positive or negative results are gotten when your Urine is concentrated and not diluted. Do well to use undiluted Urine always.
A) You conducted the test too early, which means your human chorionic gonadotropin is yet to accumulate much to yield a fast fertility result. So it’s best to wait for some time regardless of the symptoms you feel until you are sure the fertility drugs and the level of H.C.G. in your Urine are enough. If you are impatient about this, it is okay to speak with your doctor.
B) Another reason could be that you checked your result before the right time. Every test kit has its manual; check the manual and learn how to use it properly so you won’t remove the dipstick at the wrong time. Accurate positive or negative results are gotten when your Urine is concentrated and not diluted. Do well to use undiluted Urine always.
Can My Pregnancy Result Test Positive and Yet Be Wrong?
After following all the given instructions on using the test kits, you have successfully gotten an accurate result before. Still, later you discover a level of inaccuracy in subsequent results, then it’s must have been because of either of the following:
A) You must have had a biochemical type of pregnancy unnoticed, mostly at the earliest stage of the pregnancy. You must have rushed into conducting the test, maybe because of the fertility drugs you took. Even with fertility drugs, you will have to wait a little longer, and having a medical issue with your ovaries can result in a false-positive result.
B) If you are near or approaching menopause, you are likely to have an ectopic pregnancy, resulting in a false result. In all of these, false-positive occurs in rare conditions, and all must, but false negative is very rampant. So do well to know what you want and see which one comes out more false entirely.
A) You must have had a biochemical type of pregnancy unnoticed, mostly at the earliest stage of the pregnancy. You must have rushed into conducting the test, maybe because of the fertility drugs you took. Even with fertility drugs, you will have to wait a little longer, and having a medical issue with your ovaries can result in a false-positive result.
B) If you are near or approaching menopause, you are likely to have an ectopic pregnancy, resulting in a false result. In all of these, false-positive occurs in rare conditions, and all must, but false negative is very rampant. So do well to know what you want and see which one comes out more false entirely.
How Can i Address a Pregnancy Result Displayed Inaccurately?
After your result shows negative and you sense that it is false, there are measures that you can take to get an accurate result. And these are:
Stay after a week or more, and if your menses do not flow, then go and conduct another test.
If pregnancy symptoms persist even after the negative test, talk to your doctor about the matter and have him do a check-up and a new pregnancy test. If your menses continue, go for a check-up, although irregular menstruation can occur due to stress, thyroid disorder, excessive exercise, and others. Check also for the status of your ovaries.
If, after all these, you still get mixed results interchangeably, then you should do a thorough medical check-up. It is advisable to check your pregnancy status just when you notice the symptoms because finding out early about your pregnancy will help you care better in prenatal care.
The false-negative test is very rampant and familiar compared to the false positive. This is because the test kits were made majorly for detecting pregnancy. So when you get a negative result for a home pregnancy test, you should repeat the process and ensure the test kit is not faulty in any way.
Stay after a week or more, and if your menses do not flow, then go and conduct another test.
If pregnancy symptoms persist even after the negative test, talk to your doctor about the matter and have him do a check-up and a new pregnancy test. If your menses continue, go for a check-up, although irregular menstruation can occur due to stress, thyroid disorder, excessive exercise, and others. Check also for the status of your ovaries.
If, after all these, you still get mixed results interchangeably, then you should do a thorough medical check-up. It is advisable to check your pregnancy status just when you notice the symptoms because finding out early about your pregnancy will help you care better in prenatal care.
The false-negative test is very rampant and familiar compared to the false positive. This is because the test kits were made majorly for detecting pregnancy. So when you get a negative result for a home pregnancy test, you should repeat the process and ensure the test kit is not faulty in any way.