Maybe you’re wondering if a false-positive reading is possible. If so, what could cause it? The reality is 99% of pregnancy tests are accurate. So, what could that 1% mean? The most common reason is user error.

Trying to figure out if you’re pregnant can be stressful. It can be easy to rush and make a mistake, such as, not following the instructions, forgetting to check the expiration date, or taking the test too early in your cycle. These mistakes can cause a false positive result. Also, when taking a pregnancy test, you need to make sure your urine is concentrated, which means, it’s best to take the test first thing in the morning.

If you followed the directions and still believe you got a false-positive test result, you might fall into one of the following scenarios:

Scenario # 1: Chemical pregnancy 

A chemical pregnancy is a fertilized egg that cannot implant or grow at the beginning of a pregnancy. The reasoning for this could be scar tissue, uterine abnormalities, fibroids, an infection­, or abnormal hormone levels.

Scenario #2: Ectopic pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancies are non-viable pregnancies. This means there is no way for this pregnancy to continue because the fertilized egg attaches to a fallopian tube instead of the uterus, leaving the embryo no place to grow. However, because the embryo still produces the hCG hormones, it leads to a false-positive result.

You can detect Ectopic pregnancies through an ultrasound or by continuous bloodwork. If you feel like you may fall into this scenario, Mid Cities Women’s Clinic offers free ultrasounds.

Scenario #3: Recent miscarriage or abortion 

If you experienced a miscarriage, it’s possible that all pregnancy-related tissue was not discharged or removed, causing elevated hCG levels. After a miscarriage or an abortion, hormones can remain in your blood and urine for up to six weeks. It is possible to have a false-positive test result until your hCG levels return to their pre-pregnancy state.

Scenario #4 Medication

Fertility medications can cause a false-positive result. In addition to this, so can anti-anxiety and antipsychotic medicines, anticonvulsants medications, diuretics, Parkinson’s disease medications, antihistamines, and methadone.

If I think I have a false-positive result, what should I do? 

This can be a scary time, so why not seek out affordable and trustworthy care? At Mid Cities Women’s Clinic, that’s what you’ll get. We offer hospital grade pregnancy tests and ultrasounds at no cost to you. We will also take time to go over all your options if you are actually pregnant and answer any questions you might have.

Don’t take this journey alone. We are here to help and support you. We are open Monday through Thursday. Click here to request your appointment or call us at 817-508-9412.

If you think you might be pregnant and feel completely overwhelmed and imagine what your life will be like now, slow down. Take a deep breath. Please know that you’re not alone! We help women every day who find themselves in unexpected pregnancies. Let’s look at what your first steps should be.

First Step: Examine the signs.

Early pregnancy signs can present themselves anywhere from three to six weeks after having sex. Of course the first clue would be a missed period, but if you typically experience irregular periods, that can make it difficult to recognize. Here are several other early pregnancy signs to look for:

• Fatigue
• Breast changes
• Mood swings
• Frequent urination
• Bloating
• Nausea, also known as Morning Sickness
• Sensitivity to smells
• Heartburn

Second Step: Confirm your pregnancy.

When can you take a pregnancy test? We suggest waiting until the week after your missed period for the most accurate result. If you can’t wait, we recommend waiting for at least one to two weeks after you have had sex. Your body needs time to develop detectable levels of HCG, which is often called the pregnancy hormone. This typically takes seven to twelve days after the successful implantation of an egg. If the test is taken too early in your cycle, you may receive an inaccurate result.

If you’ve already taken a pregnancy test, was it lab-quality? If not, we offer a hospital-grade pregnancy test manufactured by McKesson that can detect pregnancy as early as seven to ten days after conception, with greater than 99% accuracy.

In addition to this, we suggest taking it a step further and also having an ultrasound done. Why? Because an ultrasound exam will rule out an unviable pregnancy (caused by miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy), as 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage. An ultrasound can also tell you how far along you are in your pregnancy, which you will need to know if you’re considering abortion.

Third Step: Make an appointment.

When you make an appointment at Mid Cities Women’s Clinic, you will receive accurate medical information coupled with compassionate care. One of our patients said, “They have been helpful and respectful, and it helped me more than I ever thought.” That’s our goal. To help you and give you the information you need to make the best decision for your future. To make an appointment, you can call us at (817) 577-4387 or click here to request your appointment.

We look forward to serving you!