You can feel a wave of emotions as soon as you see the two little lines on a pregnancy test. Additionally, it might be excruciating to wait for a doctor's appointment to confirm the news.
A lot of women decide to take a second (or even third!) test at home. But sometimes, the outcomes of such tests could be different.
When one pregnancy test is positive and the other is negative, what does it mean?
Although 99% accuracy is promised by many home pregnancy tests, they are not flawless. Sometimes you obtain a positive result even when you are not pregnant, which is known as a "false positive."
Everything you need to know about false-positive pregnancy tests is being broken down here.
Do false positives happen frequently?
According to Yale School of Medicine Clinical Professor of Obstetrics Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., "False positives are fairly uncommon." "One of the more popular explanations is that women wait longer than is advised to read tests, and as a result, another line may appear with evaporation (which is not a true positive, but rather the result of the test remaining in place longer than is advised)."
Do drugs have the potential to produce a false positive?
It is feasible. According to the Mayo Clinic, "home pregnancy test results may be affected by fertility drugs or other medications that contain HCG." But the majority of drugs, such as birth control pills and antibiotics, have no effect on how accurate home pregnancy tests are.
What else may be the reason?
Gloucestershire Hospitals states that a false positive might be caused by a significant urinary tract infection (UTI).
Or it might have anything to do with fluctuating hormone levels. "The test may remain positive for a few days before going negative, especially considering how sensitive these tests are," Dr. Minkin continues. That may indicate what many refer to as a "chemical pregnancy." It's true that an egg was successfully fertilized, began to implant, and then stopped growing. The early pregnancy will then exit the uterus. A few days late, it can just appear like a heavy menstruation. This miscarriage is actually rather early. Therefore, the pregnancy test did not yield a false positive result.
Do you need to take any precautions to avoid receiving a false positive?
According to Dr. Minkin, reading the exam within the recommended time range is the simplest method to avoid them.
And keep in mind that they're actually rather uncommon. You can retake the test in a few days if you're experiencing anxiety.
Related: The greatest things to eat during pregnancy, from the first to the third trimester, according to a nutritionist's advice
After receiving a positive test result, what should you do?
To validate the findings, first make sure you schedule a visit with your healthcare professional.
Dr. Minkin advises beginning a prenatal vitamin with additional folic acid while you're waiting for that visit. "There is a decreased risk of neural tube defects and other congenital abnormalities in pregnancies that are conceived while the woman is taking extra folic acid," she explains.
A prenatal vitamin won't harm you if you're not pregnant. Additionally, the early folic acid will assist your unborn child if you are pregnant.
Get in touch with A Baby Handbook For Latest Update.
Torikatu Kala
You can feel a wave of emotions as soon as you see the two little lines on a pregnancy test. Additionally, it might be excruciating to wait for a doctor's appointment to confirm the news.
A lot of women decide to take a second (or even third!) test at home. But sometimes, the outcomes of such tests could be different.
When one pregnancy test is positive and the other is negative, what does it mean?
Although 99% accuracy is promised by many home pregnancy tests, they are not flawless. Sometimes you obtain a positive result even when you are not pregnant, which is known as a "false positive."
Everything you need to know about false-positive pregnancy tests is being broken down here.
Do false positives happen frequently?
According to Yale School of Medicine Clinical Professor of Obstetrics Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., "False positives are fairly uncommon." "One of the more popular explanations is that women wait longer than is advised to read tests, and as a result, another line may appear with evaporation (which is not a true positive, but rather the result of the test remaining in place longer than is advised)."
Do drugs have the potential to produce a false positive?
It is feasible. According to the Mayo Clinic, "home pregnancy test results may be affected by fertility drugs or other medications that contain HCG." But the majority of drugs, such as birth control pills and antibiotics, have no effect on how accurate home pregnancy tests are.
What else may be the reason?
Gloucestershire Hospitals states that a false positive might be caused by a significant urinary tract infection (UTI).
Or it might have anything to do with fluctuating hormone levels. "The test may remain positive for a few days before going negative, especially considering how sensitive these tests are," Dr. Minkin continues. That may indicate what many refer to as a "chemical pregnancy." It's true that an egg was successfully fertilized, began to implant, and then stopped growing. The early pregnancy will then exit the uterus. A few days late, it can just appear like a heavy menstruation. This miscarriage is actually rather early. Therefore, the pregnancy test did not yield a false positive result.
Do you need to take any precautions to avoid receiving a false positive?
According to Dr. Minkin, reading the exam within the recommended time range is the simplest method to avoid them.
And keep in mind that they're actually rather uncommon. You can retake the test in a few days if you're experiencing anxiety.
Related: The greatest things to eat during pregnancy, from the first to the third trimester, according to a nutritionist's advice
After receiving a positive test result, what should you do?
To validate the findings, first make sure you schedule a visit with your healthcare professional.
Dr. Minkin advises beginning a prenatal vitamin with additional folic acid while you're waiting for that visit. "There is a decreased risk of neural tube defects and other congenital abnormalities in pregnancies that are conceived while the woman is taking extra folic acid," she explains.
A prenatal vitamin won't harm you if you're not pregnant. Additionally, the early folic acid will assist your unborn child if you are pregnant.
Get in touch with A Baby Handbook For Latest Update.