How to avoid false result on a positive pregnancy test?

The second scratch that appears on a positive pregnancy test can be cause for celebration or fear. No matter the desire: the result of this type of test is always impacting for the woman or couple and you need to be sure about the result! Do you have questions about how to do this test correctly? Check out some instructions given by an expert and get your doubts cleared.

How to take a pregnancy test correctly?

The pregnancy test can be purchased at pharmacies and can be done at your home. For the result to be reliable, the ideal is to take some care, as listed by gynecologist and obstetrician Renato Prado, clinical director of the Neo Vita Clinic, medical coordinator of Embryology and PhD from the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp) and Imperial College London. (UK). Are they:

The test needs to be done only when there is already a menstrual delay, which can occur a day after the day she should have decided;
It should also be done in the morning, collecting the first urine of the day, which is more concentrated and contains more hormones;
The urine should be collected in a clean container;
Leave the test in contact with the urine for 10 seconds (or the time indicated by the manufacturer) and then remove from the bottle and wait 5 minutes for the result.

Top questions about positive pregnancy test

Had your pregnancy test positive, but still have some doubts? Don’t worry, some are quite common. Subsequently, they will be clarified by the gynecologist Renato Prado. Check out!

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Can pharmacy pregnancy tests give a false positive?

According to Prado, false positives are rare, but they can happen! The two most situations are when the woman has had a miscarriage recently or when there is a tumor that produces the hCG hormone, which is what is measured by the pharmacy test. This second situation can even happen to men, which became famous in an internet trend in 2016.

In any case, always after a positive pregnancy test from the pharmacy, it is important to do a blood beta-hCG test. “The pharmacy test will only indicate ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ or give an idea of how many weeks the pregnancy is. But he does not give a number, the value of the hormone”, explains the specialist. This value is measured more sensitively in the blood test, which allows the doctor to monitor the evolution of the pregnancy.

The second line of the pharmacy pregnancy test is faint, what does it mean?

Usually pharmacy tests have two lines: one that will appear anyway and indicates that the test is working — if it doesn’t appear, you need to do another one! The other one, which can cross or be parallel to the control line, is the result itself and when it appears it means a positive pregnancy test. “When that second line is very weak, it could be that the pregnancy is very early. In this situation, it is recommended to repeat the test the next day, when the hormones will be higher and the second line should appear stronger”, explains Prado.

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When do I know that I should repeat the drug test to be sure of the result?

Normally the repetition should be done in the situation explained above, when the result line comes out very weak. “Another situation is when it was done before the menstrual delay or in the first days of delay. If the period has not yet come and the delay has increased, the test can be repeated. If he still continues to be negative and menstruation does not come, the doctor should be sought out”, warns the specialist.

Should I test different brands?

According to Prado, trying to buy different brands to guarantee a more accurate result is a myth: “The tests sold in Brazil are certified by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) and their quality is controlled. As long as they are purchased in authorized stores or pharmacies, they are reliable and do not need to be made in “duplicate” with another brand”, assures the doctor.

Types of Pregnancy Test: Do You Know the Differences?

There is both the pharmacy and blood pregnancy test out there, also called beta-hCG. Do you know how each one works? Find out more next!

pharmacy pregnancy test

It has a reagent capable of detecting the presence or absence of the beta-hCG hormone, which is an indicator of pregnancy. Some can even estimate which week of pregnancy you are in, but it is not exact, as it is made using urine and therefore does not accurately show how much of the hormone is circulating in our body.

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Blood pregnancy test (beta-hCG)

This test is done in the laboratory and manages to metrify the amount of hormone, it already takes a blood sample and manages to quantify the concentration of circulating hormone present in the collected sample. “With this number in hand, we have more information about the pregnancy and we can follow its evolution through the elevation of the beta-hCG values”, considers Prado.

There is a table that allows the doctor to identify the gestational age and even understand if it could be a twin pregnancy. The evolution of values also allows analyzing whether the pregnancy may be developing outside the uterus (the so-called ectopic pregnancy).

This test can even be done before your period is late. “It is much more sensitive than the drugstore test and a week before the menstrual delay can already indicate pregnancy. However, I recommend that you do it from the delay, to have more reliable values ”, ponders the gynecologist.

And the home tests?

Today we find information on the internet about various home tests, using soft drinks, bleach, vinegar, etc. There is no scientific proof on any of them, which could lead you to believe a false result! It is always important to take a pharmacy test and, if so, certify yourself with a laboratory test.