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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Does Home Pregnancy Test Indicate False Negative Results?

Hello, I have been experiencing cramps lately and I took a pregnancy test on last Tuesday and the test came back very faint. took another one that night and it was faint again. The next few day I took one and it was negative. on Friday I took a cheap Dollar general test and it came back slight pink. My period is now late as of April 15. Could I possibly be pregnant or not. Cramping still but no period.
Mon, 22 Jun 2015
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hello and welcome to HCM!
Home pregnancy tests are rather accurate as they detect a pregnancy in 99% of cases, and miss it (results positive for pregnancy when in fact there is no pregnancy - the so called "false positive" result) in 1% of cases. However, the sensitivity of home pregnancy test depends a lot on the day when the test is carried out. Most tests claim to be 99% accurate even one day after missed menses. The tests are more accurate some days after missed period. If the test is negative, it has to be repeated again in order to exclude pregnancy.
On the other hand, false-negative home pregnancy test are not rare. False-negative result means that you are pregnant but the test wrongly tells you that you are not. In order to minimize the risk of false-negative results please follow the instructions of use very carefully: do not test too early, use the right portion of urine and use high sensitivity pregnancy tests. If your signs and symptoms continue but the test still reads negative, then you should consult with a specialist in order to rule out (or confirm) a pregnancy.
Hope it helps!
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Does Home Pregnancy Test Indicate False Negative Results?

Hello and welcome to HCM! Home pregnancy tests are rather accurate as they detect a pregnancy in 99% of cases, and miss it (results positive for pregnancy when in fact there is no pregnancy - the so called false positive result) in 1% of cases. However, the sensitivity of home pregnancy test depends a lot on the day when the test is carried out. Most tests claim to be 99% accurate even one day after missed menses. The tests are more accurate some days after missed period. If the test is negative, it has to be repeated again in order to exclude pregnancy. On the other hand, false-negative home pregnancy test are not rare. False-negative result means that you are pregnant but the test wrongly tells you that you are not. In order to minimize the risk of false-negative results please follow the instructions of use very carefully: do not test too early, use the right portion of urine and use high sensitivity pregnancy tests. If your signs and symptoms continue but the test still reads negative, then you should consult with a specialist in order to rule out (or confirm) a pregnancy. Hope it helps!