Today, a pregnancy test helps to confirm conception at home.
A positive or negative result is not always the case in reality. Sometimes the test gives false readings. What contributes to this? And what to do if such a diagnosis shows 2 strips?
Read about this and much more in our new article.
How accurate is a pregnancy test?
Today, unfortunately, there is no such accurate diagnosis that could 100% confirm the position of a woman at home.
All test strips are based on the detection of an increase in hCG in the urine, which increases after embryo implantation. However, this hormone can also increase for other reasons. As a result, test strips often falsely show a positive result.
The main reasons for a false positive pregnancy test are:
If the test was carried out according to the rules, and you are sure that there was no conception, but the test strip gives a positive answer, you should go to the doctor for a more thorough examination in order to find out about diseases in advance and prescribe treatment on time.
Interestingly, even in a man, the test can show two strips. It doesn't mean he's pregnant. The fact is that in men, as in women, the hCG hormone is very low. But in some diseases, especially cancer, this hormone rises. Therefore, if the test shows a positive result, you should immediately consult a doctor.
When a woman who wants to get pregnant has the long-awaited two lines on the test indicator, it is better to do a second study in 2-3 days to confirm the answer. This is especially true for early diagnosis, a few days before the expected menstruation.
Sometimes it happens that after confirmation of conception, menstruation or a slight daub has gone.
Why this happens, only a doctor can reveal, so it is imperative to contact him for advice. If this is not done, there may be undesirable consequences. The same should be done if the period has passed, and you have two strips on the indicator.
General information about the tests in this video:
What does a positive test result look like?
Most women believe that there must be some signs by which a delicate situation can be determined. For some, this happens, but more often there are no signs other than a positive result in test diagnostics. Especially during lactation, it is impossible to determine anything, since there are not even periods.
Reliably confirm the position only with the help of ultrasound after three weeks.
What should a positive test result look like on a stick? Today there are different types of test systems: strip, flatbed, inkjet and digital. The first three show 2 colored stripes during pregnancy, and one in the absence.
Digital ones can not only confirm or refute the situation, but also indicate the number of weeks from conception. If the answer is negative, the monitor will have a “-” icon, and if it is positive, “+” and next to the number of weeks.
When to make a diagnosis to get a reliable answer? Usually, when ovulating at 14–15 DC (day of the cycle) and approximately 7 DPO (day after fertilization), the embryo is implanted in the uterus. At this point, hCG begins to increase rapidly, and after 3-4 days, ultra-sensitive tests will already be able to detect it.
Sometimes the test shows two strips already at 4-5 DPO. This happens if ovulation occurred earlier than expected (not in the middle of the cycle), and conception occurred. With a cycle of 30–36 days, test diagnostics will also show the answer seven days earlier than the delay in menstruation.
With IVF, testing will show confirmation at 7dpo (day after transfer).
If the second line appears weakly on the stick, this does not mean a positive result. Rather, it is either a hormonal failure, or an incorrectly conducted study (poor-quality or expired stick).
How many strips on a pregnancy test
Using the test system is very simple. To do this, just dip the stick to the specified level, hold for 3-5 seconds and after 5 minutes the answer will appear - 1 (negative) or 2 (positive) bands.
The second indicator is manifested due to a reagent that reacts with the hCG hormone, if it is present in the urine. In its absence, the indicator will not show anything, it will not appear.
Often there are cases when the indicator does not fully appear (shows a pale strip).
The reasons may be different, but they can be divided into 2 categories:
- problem with the test - expired, of poor quality or violation during the procedure;
- insufficiently high level of hCG - too early or inflammation, causing the production of human chorionic gonadotropin.
Sticks with hypersensitivity are able to give an answer already in the presence of a hormone in the amount of 10 IU / l. Others react at 20–25 IU/L.
What to do if the pregnancy test is positive
Even if the child is long-awaited, there is no need to rejoice violently. The first study is wrong, because all tests can be wrong.
What to do next? Pull yourself together and wait for the symptoms of pregnancy to appear or re-examine after 2-3 days. If the second diagnosis confirms the initial result, you need to contact a gynecologist, take a blood test for hormones and after 3-4 weeks undergo an ultrasound scan, without which it is impossible to get a 100% correct answer.
The doctor may prescribe an ultrasound examination earlier if there are prerequisites for this - brown or bloody discharge, pain in the lower abdomen or in the side.
If the situation is confirmed, it is necessary to register with a gynecologist who will observe the entire period of gestation.
What actions to take in case of unwanted pregnancy? It happens that even after contraceptives, for example, after Postinor, women become pregnant. This happens either due to a poor-quality drug, or if the remedy was taken at the wrong time (conception has already occurred).
Whether to leave the pregnancy in this case? The decision is made by the woman, and only she. It is worth taking into account the age, existing pathologies and much more, which can cause infertility or problems with bearing in the future, if you have an abortion now.
In any case, do not panic, as this may just be a test error. Therefore, after a while it is better to re-examine or take tests for the level of hCG.
How to act in early pregnancy so that the baby is healthy - doctor advises
All doctors for the proper development of the fetus recommend:
- At the planning stage, undergo a complete examination for the presence of diseases, and, if any, cure.
- Completely eliminate all bad habits from your life - alcohol, smoking, etc.
- Get your diet right. The more vegetables, fruits, berries, greens and juices there are, the more necessary vitamins and minerals the baby will receive for his development.
- Take a multivitamin complex, vitamin E, folic acid and Iodomarin.
- Protect yourself from colds and viral infections.
- Go to the doctor's appointment on time and follow all his recommendations.
- Treatment with any medication should be agreed with the attending physician. This is especially true for painkillers, for example, Pentalgin, which is available in different forms, and not everything can be taken when carrying a baby.
- Avoid stressful situations, relax more and walk in the fresh air.
- Do not overstrain the body with physical activity, especially in the first trimester.
Conclusion
When using test diagnostics, it is important to follow the instructions. If after passing the test there is no confidence in the result or the second line is pale, no need to be upset, just repeat the procedure in a couple of days.
When confirming the answer, if it is positive, in any case it is necessary to consult a doctor. This is especially true for women who used reliable contraceptives, and the diagnosis indicates pregnancy. Diseases that should be identified in advance and begin treatment are not excluded.
Today, if a girl suspects pregnancy, she can easily check her guesses at home using a pharmacy test. It is clear that two distinct lines indicate the presence of an interesting situation, but how to evaluate the results if a weak line appears on a pregnancy test. Maybe the test is defective or expired, how to interpret such results?
An important day in the life of a young family
In fact, the device for determining pregnancy is an indicator that responds to the presence of gonadotropic chorionic hormone in the urine, which is characteristic of pregnancy. This substance is produced by the fetal membranes already from the first day after implantation, within a week it accumulates in the body in the amount to which the test strip reacts.
- There are several types of pregnancy test, but the principle of their action is the same.
- The most affordable are ordinary strip strips.
- There are also tablet and inkjet test systems, electronic devices for detecting conception.
- The most accurate and reliable are inkjet diagnostic systems. They are easy to use and do not require a separate set of urine, the test is simply substituted under the stream, and then the test results are read.
- All tests have a special indicator, which, when in contact with urine, in the presence of chorionic gonadotropic hormone, appears as a bright stripe, which means that the patient is pregnant.
- HCG levels double every 48 hours from the day of implantation. Therefore, by the time a delay is detected in the blood, a certain level of this hormone accumulates, to which the test indicator reacts.
- If the hCG content is low, then only one control strip appears on the strip test, but when its level rises to 15-25 mIU / ml, the second test strip also appears.
Sometimes such testing shows a weak strip, which girls sometimes perceive as a strip test malfunction. But there is a perfectly understandable explanation for this.
Truthfulness of results
Morning is the best time to check
Sometimes test systems give erroneous results, which depends on compliance with the conditions and terms of storage, the rules for conducting research, etc. It is better to give preference to tests from reputable manufacturers, rather than suspiciously cheap strip strips. The second strip on the pregnancy test can turn out to be mild precisely if the instructions are not followed. The most informative is the first morning urine, which must be collected in sterile dishes or simply substitute the device under the stream of urine.
Tests with a high threshold of sensitivity determine the interesting position most reliably. These include products under the brand Frautest, Home Test Express, BB, etc. You need to look for sensitivity indicators of 10-15 mIU / ml on the package. It is these tests that will be the most sensitive, will be able to detect hCG even before the delay and will not show a weak second strip. In terms of convenience, inkjet express systems are considered the simplest. Such tests are highly accurate, and the probability of an unreliable result is practically absent.
What a faint line might look like
It makes no sense to test a couple of days after intimacy, because it will take at least 5-7 days for the egg to implant, and then it still takes time for hCG to reach a normal level. With a premature study, it may turn out that a second white or very weak strip will appear. Therefore, it is advisable to conduct such studies after a delay.
Each pregnancy test has two sectors - indicator and control. When the required volume of urine enters the control sector, a reaction occurs and a bright line appears. This is a confirmation that the test is working and of high quality, and the study is proceeding correctly. The indicator sector performs the main function - it determines the absence or presence of an interesting position.
If there is no pregnancy, then only one strip appears, but if the girl will soon be a mother, then 2 strips appear, which should normally be as clear as the control one. If the second strip is light or blurry, then it cannot be regarded as a sign of conception. You will need to retest in a couple of days. A barely noticeable second strip of a grayish tint indicates an incorrect reaction of the device to the test urine, so this test is faulty and cannot be used for research.
Is there a pregnancy - how to understand
When planning, it is important to eat right
Usually, the first suspicions of conception occur in girls after a delay. And if the conception is not the first, then the patient may suspect the upcoming motherhood even earlier. To clarify the situation, home express systems are intended. Using such a pregnancy test usually does not cause any difficulties, because it is simple and understandable for any girl. But five minutes after the girl did the test, she will receive an accurate answer regarding her position. But if a pale line appears on a pregnancy test, then the girl faces difficulties in accurately assessing the result.
The results of the study are influenced by a lot of factors, so you need to try to exclude them in order to accurately understand whether there is a pregnancy or not. If the second strip is barely visible on the pregnancy test, then it cannot be considered a positive or negative result. The instructions clearly state that the line should be clear and contrasting. In other cases, the express test should be considered invalid and of poor quality, and the diagnosis itself should be considered unreliable. If a weak second strip appears during a pregnancy test, this may indicate a too low hCG content, a violation of the rules for conducting the study, etc.
What does a faint line mean?
The appearance of a fuzzy strip on a pregnancy test can be caused by various factors:
- Poor quality product. If the test system has an expired expiration date or was originally produced with a marriage, then a pale second strip is quite possible.
- Diagnosis was too early. The annotation for each test clearly states that it is recommended to conduct a study no earlier than after a delay is detected. It is on these days of the cycle that the gonadotropic chorionic hormone will be released in sufficient quantities to be detected. Hypersensitive test systems are able to recognize the presence of hCG as early as a week and a half after fertilization, but at the same time, a pregnancy test will show a pale stripe.
- The implantation failed. The strip does not appear in full force if the fetal egg is not sufficiently fixed to the endometrial layer, or was completely rejected. Under such conditions, the hCG content will be too low for a given gestation period. Therefore, a fuzzy second strip appears, it is pale and, as it were, smeared. If gestation is interrupted, then re-diagnosis will give a negative result.
- Misinterpretation of results. Sometimes girls literally rave about the idea of getting pregnant and manage to look out for two strips in an absolutely negative test. Indeed, upon careful examination of the indicator sector, you can see a faint strip on the pregnancy test, it is barely visible, but still visible. This situation does not mean the presence of pregnancy, but only indicates the place of the likely manifestation of the second band.
- Hormone-producing tumor formations. These can be benign or oncological tumors of the ovaries or the uterine body, liver and other organs that produce female sex hormones, which leads to the appearance of two stripes on the express test.
- Late maturation of the egg. If the ovulatory period occurs at a later time, and not in the middle of the cycle, then the hCG level will also take longer to accumulate, and during testing, two lines will appear, only the second strip is pale.
Other reasons
Any question will be answered by the attending gynecologist
ectopic pregnancy. If the girl has a clear delay, and on the test the control strip appears brighter than the indicator one, then there is every reason to suspect an ectopic pregnancy in the patient. This condition is very dangerous, so it needs mandatory treatment.
In vitro fertilization. With such a procedure, a girl, as a rule, is prescribed drugs of hormonal origin, which are quite capable of affecting the test results, and in the first gestational weeks on a positive test, one strip will be weak, which is quite normal.
Frozen pregnancy. With such a pathology, a characteristic drop in the level of hCG occurs, which appears on the test as a dull line. If, when tested at a weekly interval, the second line remains the same weak, then the suspicion of fetal fading is confirmed.
In any case, if the express test showed two lines, one of which is dimmer and more smeared than the other, then this result should be regarded as false, and after 2-3 days, re-test.
The second band appeared during menstruation
There are times when a girl has already been delighted with two dashes on an express test, has begun to make grandiose plans for a baby, and then menstruation begins. Such clinical cases require mandatory medical participation. Most often, such a picture is observed with the rejection of the fetal egg, which had an anomaly or deformity of a genetic nature. Moreover, the girl herself may not be aware of such processes, thinking that just another menstruation has begun, especially if she is not obsessed with pregnancy and does not use express tests every cycle.
Although sometimes the appearance of a second cloudy strip signals the development of some kind of pathology or pregnancy complication. For example, this is likely with detachment of the fetal egg or the threat of interruption, ectopic conception, etc. All these pathological conditions are accompanied by a characteristic decrease in hCG, which is why the second line on the express test appears much weaker.
In addition, the cause of menstruation with a positive pregnancy test result may be hormonal disruptions, a one-time fertilization of two female germ cells, or a lack of progesterone hormone. Progesterone ensures the safety of the pregnant state, and if it is produced in insufficient quantities, spotting may occur. Especially often they occur on those days of the cycle, when the girl had to have her period before conception.
What to do with a weak and fuzzy line on the test
If the test gave a positive result with a weak second strip, then you should not consider it as confirmation of pregnancy. Only a doctor can give the most accurate result regarding pregnancy, because when using home express systems, there is always a risk of receiving erroneous, unreliable data, although manufacturers assure that their products are 100 percent accurate. Therefore, when a second blurry and dull strip appears, it is necessary to be examined by a gynecologist. Usually, to clarify the pathological picture, the doctor prescribes certain diagnostic procedures.
- Re-testing. After the first test, it is recommended to undergo home diagnostics again after a few days (3-4).
- Ultrasound diagnostics. It allows you to detect a fetal egg inside the uterine body through a transvaginal examination. This is possible already on the 6th day of delay. If ultrasound is performed through the abdominal wall, then conception can be detected only at 7-8 weeks of gestation.
- Blood test for chorionic gonadotropin. In the blood, this hormone is found much earlier than in urine, so a blood test helps to confirm conception at the earliest possible date.
- Gynecological examination on the armchair. With this examination, the doctor will be able to confirm the pregnancy, starting from the 4-week period.
If the fact of conception is not confirmed, then the girl will be referred to specialists of a different profile.
How to do a test to avoid mistakes
In order not to face such a problem as the appearance of a second dull strip on the test, girls are advised to follow the instructions for conducting the study. Firstly, testing must be carried out with the morning, the very first portion of urine, because it is in it that the maximum concentration of hCG is observed. Such a test will be the most informative and reliable. If there is a need to conduct a study at a different time of the day, then you should at least not drink a lot of liquid so as not to dilute the urine.
Use freshly collected urine for testing. It is impossible to freeze or simply cool urine before diagnosis. Dip the strip strictly to the level indicated on it, keep the test in the urine for no more than 20 seconds, and evaluate the results 5-10 minutes after the test. Sterile containers must be used to collect biomaterial. The test result should be considered positive only when two clear and bright stripes appear.
Many girls probably had a question whether it is possible to reuse a pregnancy test. Absolutely not. The indicator field of the tests used has already reacted with urine, so a second study will not cause any reaction. And if the tests used show the presence of pregnancy, then it is impossible to consider such results as reliable. It is better to use a new test.
Despite the fact that pregnancy tests differ in quality and sensitivity, the principle of their work is similar. The presence of the fetus is confirmed by a reagent that reacts to gonadotropin contained in the urine. The procedure itself is quite simple. It is enough to collect morning urine (preferably an average portion) and lower the test there for five seconds. It is necessary to wait a while and, based on the results, determine whether there is a fact of pregnancy. If both strips, control and confirmation, are present, the result can be considered positive.
Usually, instructions for use indicate how long the test should be taken, and also after what period to look at the result. As a rule, it is from 5 to 7 minutes. After a longer period of time, the test cannot be considered informative. In case of a long wait for the result, the fixture may show a second gray line. This is the place where the reagent was applied, which for one reason or another did not work. The same outcome is expected when the device is overexposed. The result will no longer be interpretable. 
If a pregnancy test shows a second faint line, women wonder if the result can be considered positive? In order to understand why such a development happens, it is necessary to understand the principle of work. Marks appear as a result of the interaction of the reagent with the hCG hormone. With a positive result, its level is increased tenfold, so the color changes and the second line appears. Before using the test, you need to pay attention to what concentration of the hormone this device can calculate. Detailed information contains instructions for use. In addition, you need to consider what the strip looks like and where it is located.
It is important to remember that the color should be intense, clear and close to the control stripe.
Reasons for the appearance of a weak strip
Sometimes a very desirable pregnancy encourages women to test often or ahead of time, which can affect the information content. Usually the dates are indicated in the instructions. It is important to follow all the rules in order to be properly informed.
If a weak strip appears, then there may be several reasons:
- The test is carried out ahead of time, the lack of a sufficient amount of hormones causes another weak line. You should wait for some time, for example, 10 days, and repeat the procedure.
- The second strip is barely visible due to poor-quality test reagent. You can not be guided by the data of this device. It is better to turn to the products of another manufacturer.
- Sometimes the second line appears, which is due to the darker color of the reagent compared to the control field. It is easy to consider even before analysis begins.
It is important to consider that the line of the pregnancy indicator is extremely saturated and clear, similar to the control line.
A weak second pregnancy test line after a delay may be due to late ovulation. Therefore, such a color of the reagent can be considered normal. The only reliable confirmation of pregnancy is its proof by ultrasound data. Another reason for the appearance of a weak strip can be considered the fading of the fetus. In this case, the level of hCG decreases and the reagent simply has nothing to interact with. 
Very often, the second weak mark is associated with the attachment of a fertilized egg outside the uterine cavity. To do this, if a long time has passed after ovulation, but the second line of a non-intense color, then you can only rely on ultrasound readings.
A barely traced second strip may be in the case of IVF. Because of this, it is not recommended to conduct a test earlier than two weeks after the alleged fertilization.
Another reason for a weak second strip can be oncology, in which the level of hormones rises.
An inconspicuous second line is guaranteed if the test is done shortly after an abortion or miscarriage. In this case, the level of hormones has not yet had time to decrease, and the reagent works on hCG.
If there is no confidence in the indicators, and the test failed several times in a row, then you should immediately resort to ultrasound. Thus, it is possible not only to establish the fact or absence of pregnancy, but also any other factors.
It is important to remember that you should not self-diagnose your condition. No devices or sources can replace medical advice and professional research. The experts themselves believe that the test may not show the presence of pregnancy, but a clear bright second line is always a guaranteed positive result. But in this case, it is best to enlist the confirmation of ultrasound. The further course of pregnancy is entrusted to the supervision of professional physicians.
I found out I'm pregnant, what should I do? Two stripes - I have! And after all, nothing foreshadowed this event. The usual everyday routine with rare joys and unforgettable emotions. In the morning, with difficulty escaping from the embrace of sleep, you have to run to work, and in the evening you would get to bed. And suddenly! shows two stripes! What to do now?!
What to do if the test is positive
1. Remember the date of menstruation
This must be done right away. Unfortunately, not everyone marks critical days in a calendar or a special smartphone program. Against the background of the daily whirlwind at work and at home, it is difficult to remember when they came for the last time. And you need to know this date for sure.
2. Listen to the body
If there is an organism, some kind of sign is required. Or a set of characters in the form or expressed. It is they who will dispel doubts, especially if these are the following manifestations:
- - the appearance of nausea associated with eating
- vomiting in the morning
- an increase in the size of the mammary glands with pain
Sudden aversion to the sight of meat or aversion to certain odors.
3. Measure the temperature in the anus
The reaction of the body during pregnancy is manifested in an increase in temperature in the anus. After waiting for the next morning, you need to measure it with an ordinary thermometer, and if 37 and above, then this will once again confirm the changes that have occurred. By the way, this morning you can repeat again: two positive results in the presence of symptoms and elevated rectal temperature (as one of) almost 100% guarantee the presence of pregnancy.
4. Make an appointment with a doctor
Even if everything turns out great, there is always room for doubt. And the doctor will put the final point in the diagnosis of pregnancy. After that, he will definitely establish a diagnosis and ask the main question - what to do next?
What to do after confirmation of pregnancy?
The best solution is to carry and, and this is what most women do. Unfortunately, according to statistics, there is one for every three births. And this trend is not decreasing yet, despite the increased possibilities of contraception. Termination of pregnancy is still quite often performed in gynecological hospitals.
1. If the decision is made to terminate the pregnancy
The safest method is when a woman with a gestation period of up to 5 weeks (up to 20 days for some women becomes an additional stress factor, when in anticipation of the result there can be different emotional states from horror (no, just not that!) To an impatient expectation of happiness (well come on, I really want to have two stripes!).
A little girl asks: “Dad, are two stripes good?”. And my dad got sick...
Two stripes is the result. Someone expected him for many months or years, did everything possible and impossible for this, but they seriously frighten or shock someone. There are different life situations, but it is necessary to determine or refute the presence of pregnancy, almost 100% of girls and women first of all turn to home tests. And often even before they have a delay.
A home pregnancy test is definitely good. It is available to each of us, simple and easy to use and quite informative. Today there are tests of four generations, each of which is more advanced. But they are all built on the same principle: a special reagent reacts to hCG in a woman's urine (if this hormone is present there) and appears as a second strip. Actually, this means that you are pregnant. But is it always?
Can a test give a false result?
We have already written a lot about . And if you read forums on the Internet on this topic, then immediately make sure that, and even often. This is why it is not recommended to end the study with a single test, but always make controls with a retest after a few days.
A pregnancy test may well show a false result - both negative and positive. A false positive result is the appearance of two strips on the test in the absence of pregnancy.
As we have already said, the second strip appears if the woman's urine contains the hCG hormone, which begins to produce chorion immediately after fertilization. Every day, the level of hCG increases, and the closer to the delay (and according to all the rules, not earlier than the next day after the menstruation has not come) you will test, the greater the likelihood that the reagent will react.
However, in some cases, human chorionic gonadotropin is produced in small amounts in the body for other reasons not related to the development of pregnancy in it. And then the test conducted against the background of hCG production may show two stripes, but this will not mean at all that the girl is pregnant.
Reasons for a false positive pregnancy test
Among the reasons for false positive pregnancy test results may be trophoblastic tumors (which are formed due to the growth of the same cells that are responsible for the production of hCG), a recent abortion or spontaneous miscarriage, termination of an ectopic pregnancy - when hCG has grown in the body of a woman against the background of a previous pregnancy hasn't gone down yet. In addition, there are many medications containing hCG, and while taking them, a pregnancy test can also show a false positive result. This happens if a woman, for example, is being treated for infertility with hormone therapy or just a few days ago (no more than ten) she finished taking hCG-containing drugs.
Often, girls observe the so-called ghost stripes on the dough sheet - blurry, indistinct, barely noticeable or second stripes that appear only at a certain angle or under certain lighting. In some cases, this may indicate that the level of hCG in the urine is still quite low, and the test should be repeated after 2-3 days for greater reliability. But most often, ghost strips appear if the test was stored in the wrong conditions, it has expired or is of poor quality. The second indistinct strip says only that this place contains a reagent that would have manifested itself in the presence of pregnancy.
If you doubt the result of the pregnancy test, then you need to take a blood test for hCG and be examined by a gynecologist. In any case, this will not interfere and will either confirm the test result or refute it.
Of course, all of the above does not mean at all that home tests are not suitable for research and always lie. In 97% of cases, they show a reliable result.
However, you should not take 2 strips of a pregnancy test as a final verdict before a doctor's examination. In the same way as 1 strip, consider it as a 100% absence of pregnancy. By the way, false-negative results happen much more often than false-positive ones.
Especially for- Elena Kichak