• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Shop ModernMom
  • Become An Insider

ModernMom

The premiere destination for moms

  • Parenting
    • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Kids
    • Tweens and Teens
    • ModernMom Monday Videos
  • Cooking
  • Living Healthy
    • Breast Cancer
    • Health & Fitness
    • Body after Baby
    • Beauty
    • Relationships
    • Love
  • Lifestyle
    • Crafts
    • At Home
    • Education
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Decorate
    • Money
    • Brooke Burke
  • Celebrate
    • Holidays
      • Easter
      • Valentine’s Day
      • New Year’s
      • Christmas
      • Hanukah
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
    • Birthdays
    • Parties
  • Must Have
  • Contests
  • Entertainment

Factors Affecting the Accuracy of At-Home Pregnancy Tests

January 25, 2011 by ds_443830149585 Leave a Comment

When you think you might be pregnant, every minute you have to wait to find out can seem like hours. A little impatience can lead to several test errors. Home pregnancy tests first developed in the 1970s allowed you to test for the early pregnancy indicator–the human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG)–in your urine. The tests are accurate when you follow all the instructions carefully. Mistakes in taking the test or interpreting the results account for the majority of false positive or negative results. When you take the test is as important as how you take it.

User Error

Home pregnancy tests are easy to use, but skipping certain steps or ignoring a few simple instructions can affect its accuracy. Expose the test to urine for the recommended time period. Handle the strip correctly during and after testing. Lay the test strip or wand flat for the waiting period required in the instruction pamphlet. That means no rotating it or tilting it to peek–even though those few minutes seem like hours. When the time is up, read the results. A positive result is what your instructions specify. You’ll see a cross, a plus sign, or a “yes” clearly showing in your test window. If the control window indicates the test has worked, trust the result.

Don’t squint and hold the test up to the light or scan it on the computer (yes, some women have done this) to enlarge the results on the screen, or keep it in your nightstand to check and recheck it for the next 48 hours. Any faint lines you see after this much time has elapsed are likely evaporation lines. If your instructions say that the test readings are invalid after 10 minutes, don’t look at the result after 10 minutes. Put the test down. Go have a cup of herbal tea.

Timing

One first indicator of pregnancy is the presence of hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotropin) in a woman’s blood or urine. The hCG increases rapidly in early pregnancy and continues to increase until about eight weeks into the pregnancy. If you test too early in a pregnancy, your test might not pick up on very low levels of the hormone. Women have different levels of hCG early in their pregnancy, so if you think you are pregnant and get a negative result, wait a few days and test again. Maybe you miscalculated your menstrual cycle. Keep a record of your menses to avoid testing when your period is not due.

Try and take your home test in the morning. Drinking lots of liquids dilutes the concentration of existing hCG levels in the urine and can affect the ability of your home pregnancy test to detect it.

Medications or Conditions

Certain medications that contain hCG, such as Pergonal and Pregnyl, can affect the results of your home pregnancy test. Rare medical conditions may also alter the accuracy of the results. Check with your doctor for more information.

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Parenting

About ds_443830149585

Barrett Barlowe has been writing since 1997. She is a Masters swimmer, enjoys open water events and is an outdoor sports and fitness enthusiast. She writes for LIVESTRONG.COM, Modern Mom and The Nest, among other sites. A digital artist with many major film credits, Barlowe has a Bachelor of Arts in English and French and a Master of Fine Arts in film animation.

Reader Interactions

Primary Sidebar

Search

Tell a friend

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

ModernMom TV

Featured

20 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Had Kids

After seeing and holding the newest member of our family … [Read More...] about 20 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Had Kids

Must Have

STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

April has arrived which means it’s time to pull out the food … [Read More...] about STEM-related Toys to Include in Your Child’s Easter Basket This Year 

Did you know?

Soothe Red and Irritated Skin After a Brazilian Wax

How to Soothe Red and Irritated Skin After a Brazilian Wax

abdominal discomfort during first trimester of pregnancy

Abdominal Discomfort During First Trimester of Pregnancy

Male Fertility Tips

Signs of Allergies to Infant Formula

Signs of Allergies to Infant Formula

Breast Pains & Pregnancy

Breast Pains & Pregnancy

Juice Vs. Concentrate

Juice Vs. Concentrate

How to Take Wrinkles Out of Polyester With Steam

Night Sweats During Pregnancy

Night Sweats During Pregnancy

What Can I Substitute for Butter When Making Frosting?

How Many Calories Does 10,000 Steps Burn

How Many Calories Does 10,000 Steps Burn?

Footer

  • About Us
  • Contact ModernMom
  • Advertise With Us
  • Press
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contributors

Copyright © 2023 Modern Mom. All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction of any portion of this website only at the express permission of Mom, Inc.

The information provided on ModernMom is for educational use only. It should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.