If the result is negative and you still feel that you may be pregnant, repeat the test in 1 week. Although rare, a urine pregnancy test can have a false negative result due to a “hook effect” which has to do with the hCG concentrations in the urine.
It's possible to get a negative result from a home pregnancy test when you are pregnant. This is known as a false-negative.
Most pregnancy tests include instructions that encourage you to wait at least one week between a negative test and taking another pregnancy test. This is to allow time for your body to build up enough hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) to be detected in your urine.
It's a common scene in television shows and movies: A woman takes a pregnancy test, sees the result and then, in excitement or disbelief, takes two more. In reality, taking a second test immediately following the first is often unnecessary.
Can Too Much Pee on a Pregnancy Test Make It Negative? Urinating too much on a urine pregnancy test should not cause a false negative result. But diluted urine, or urine with a higher water content, can impact a pregnancy test by skewing results.
It appears shortly after the embryo attaches to the wall of the uterus. If you are pregnant, this hormone increases very rapidly. If you have a 28 day menstrual cycle, you can detect hCG in your urine 12-15 days after ovulation.
Yes, it is possible. Getting a negative result doesn't mean you're not pregnant, it may just mean your hCG levels are not high enough for the test to detect the hormone in your urine.
The good news for prospective testers is that the chances of a false positive pregnancy test are very low. So just how common are false positive pregnancy tests then? “False positive pregnancy tests are rare and occur less than 1 percent of the time,” confirms DuMontier.
If you feel as though you're pregnant but got a negative home pregnancy test result, your symptoms could be down to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or you may have taken the test too early.
You can carry out most pregnancy tests from the first day of a missed period. If you don't know when your next period is due, do the test at least 21 days after you last had unprotected sex. Some very sensitive pregnancy tests can be used even before you miss a period.
HCG levels rise quickly and exponentially, usually doubling every 2 days3,4 in the first weeks before reaching a steady level (plateau) around week 10, after which time they slowly decline.
If you take a pregnancy test after your period is late and get a negative result, you're unlikely to be pregnant. Home pregnancy tests are very accurate — about 99 percent — but a false negative is still possible. Try taking another pregnancy test in a day or two to double check.
If you have missed two or three periods in a row but continue to get a negative pregnancy test result, you should contact a health care provider. After three missed periods, most physicians will begin some kind of work-up to evaluate why you are not menstruating, says Dr. VanRooyen.
Is it possible to have a negative pregnancy test but still be pregnant? Yes, it's possible to be pregnant and have a negative pregnancy test result. In fact, some researchers estimate this happens with up to 5 percent of home pregnancy tests. It's called a "false negative" pregnancy test result.
Depending on when you're taking it, there might be some benefit in taking one test and then a second one (again, a few days later). But cleaning out the entire drugstore shelf to be really certain? Yeah, no. Stick with two or go see your doctor to put any uncertainty at ease.
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.
“An invalid result usually means the test is faulty for some reason and isn't picking up the hormone. Try using a different brand or go to another shop and get another one. If it happens again then I'd suggest going to the doctor.
Lastly: sometimes twin or higher order multiple pregnancies, in which levels of hCG are very high, can cause a false negative pregnancy test. This is called the high-dose hook effect. 4 It's unusual, but possible. if you miss a period and have pregnancy symptoms, see your doctor.
Urine pregnancy tests rely on hCG in your urine. Test too early and the amount of hCG in your urine isn't detectable. As many as 9 out of 15 women will get a false negative until seven or eight weeks of pregnancy.
1. First Response Early Result. This bestselling product tops our list as the best pregnancy test for early detection. It's sensitive enough to give results 6 days before your missed period (with varying degrees of accuracy, given that hCG levels increase at different rates for each person).