The result can be read any time from 3 to 10 minutes. After 10 minutes any change in your result should be disregarded. My test says I'm not pregnant.
If a pink line showed up quickly, then it is likely a positive, pregnant result. If the line only showed up much later (say ten minutes or more) than the control line, it may be an evaporation line.
Usually the tests recommend waiting about 3 minutes before reading it. If you let the test sit too long the the test may show a false positive result. A false positive is when the tests shows you are pregnant when you actually are not.
A mark on a pregnancy test may be an evaporation line if: More than 10 minutes have passed since taking the test. The mark is faint and colorless, and it resembles a water spot.
However, there are cases when you may get a positive result and then find out later you are no longer pregnant – but you were. This can happen if you had a chemical pregnancy or early loss, or an ectopic pregnancy.
What Do Evaporation Lines Look Like? Evaporation lines are generally more muted than the control line. On a pink dye test, an evaporation line may look like faded gray. On a blue dye test, the line can appear as gray or even a lighter shade of blue.
For the most part, pregnancy tests don't get darker as they go along. “These tests are designed to be read usually within 10 minutes of you doing the test,” says Dr. Demosthenes.
The test result must be read before 15 minutes as test results after 15 minutes may not be accurate. Make sure you wait the full 10 minutes.
For your result to be 'Pregnant' (positive) there must be a blue line in the control window and a '+' symbol in the result window within 10 minutes of testing. It does not matter if one of the lines that make up the '+' symbol is lighter or darker than the other; the result is 'Pregnant'.
Test results should not be read after 5 minutes. Clearblue® Rapid Detection Pregnancy Test: A “Pregnant” result may appear as fast as 1 minute when testing from the day of your missed period. You should wait 3 minutes to confirm a “Not Pregnant” result, or when testing before you have missed your period.
You can find HCG in your pee or blood. HCG needs time to build up in your body. Each day of early pregnancy, your body will create more HCG. As the weeks go on, you'll have more and more HCG in your body, which will make it more likely that a pregnancy test will show as positive.
How can you tell whether that subtle, extra line is a positive result—or something else? An evaporation line (or evap line) typically appears like a faded streak, while a faint positive test result looks like a lighter blue or pink line, depending on the test dye color.
Because hCG is usually only present in your body when you're pregnant, false positive results are incredibly rare. If you use a reliable pregnancy test, like Clearblue, you can be over 99% certain you're pregnant if you see a positive result.
Read your results
A 'Pregnant' (positive) result will remain on the display for up to 6 months. A 'Not Pregnant' (negative) result will remain on the display for approximately 24 hours.
Urine tests should display a positive test when 25 mIU/ml hCG is detected, according to a German study on pregnancy tests. Unfortunately though, it is possible to see a faint line that goes away. It's also possible to get your period shortly after seeing a faint line.
Remove the test stick from the wrapper and take off the cap. Place the absorbent tip in your urine stream for 5 seconds. Or, if you prefer, dip into a urine sample collected in a clean, dry container for 5 or 20 seconds, depending on the test you're using.
It's possible that what you think is a positive test result might actually be a faint evaporation line, or 'evap' line. An evaporation line is a faint line that appears after a pregnancy test with a negative result has dried. Tests that show two line results have what are known as 'indent' lines where the ink pools.
Five seconds feels a bit longer when aiming your pee, but pulling the stick away too quickly or not leaving it in your urine stream long enough can affect the validity of the result. If you choose to dip, use a clean, dry container stable enough to hold the test and urine without tipping.
Any positive line, no matter how faint, means your result is pregnant. Levels of hCG in your body will increase over the course of your pregnancy. If you test early, your hCG levels may be still be low and you'll see a faint positive line.
Some tests, especially PCR tests, may continue to show a positive result for up to 90 days. Reinfections can occur within 90 days, which can make it hard to know if a positive test indicates a new infection.
What does a faint line look like? Each pregnancy test is different, with some brands using a red dye and others, like Clearblue, a blue dye. For a red dye test, a faint line will look light pink, whereas a blue dye test will produce a light blue line.
In general, yes, pregnancy test results should get darker early on as a pregnancy progresses. This is because the pregnancy hormone, hCG, typically doubles every two to three days during the first few weeks of pregnancy. After six weeks, the levels will double about every four days.
This usually ranges between a couple of minutes up until 10 minutes later. If you see a positive result beyond this time frame, you may be left second-guessing the results. However, always remember that a pregnancy test result is only accurate within 10 minutes.
While the line might be faint at the very beginning of pregnancy, as time goes on and the pregnancy advances, the line that the test produces should get darker and more apparent.