For couples trying to conceive, the missed period is often the first exciting sign of a positive pregnancy. But what should you think, then, when the pregnancy test is negative? Show
Causes of a Negative Pregnancy TestThere are a several possible explanations for a negative pregnancy test with a missed period that may occur in the absence of pregnancy. AnovulationWhen you are trying to conceive, it is important to determine whether you are successfully ovulating each month, as ovulatory dysfunction or anovulation may play a role in your missed period and can affect your ability to conceive. There are many causes for ovulatory dysfunction or anovulation. Just a handful of these causes include:
Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)Some women may have a condition known as primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). In POI, the symptoms experienced are similar to those of menopause. As the ovarian follicle count is depleted prematurity, falling estrogen levels lead to hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and an absence of menses as the woman prematurely enters menopause. Miscalculating Your PeriodThe average menstrual cycle is 28 days, but far too often we forget to note day 1 of our cycle. Additionally, cycles can sometimes vary in length from month to month. Charting Basal Body Temperature or using Ovulation Prediction Kits (OPKs) can help you get a firm grasp on your menstrual cycle to predict when you are most likely to conceive. Second, there are a few reasons why your pregnancy test may read negative when you are, in fact, pregnant. Some reasons for this may include: Home Pregnancy Test with a Low SensitivityA home pregnancy test will only detect pregnancy when the level of “pregnancy hormone,” also known as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), reaches a certain threshold, and it simply may not be sensitive enough to produce a positive result. Certain brands state that they can detect lower thresholds of hCG; depending on how soon you are taking the pregnancy test after the missed period, it may be worth trying again with a more sensitive brand, ensuring you are using the first morning urine for your test (hCG concentrations are highest in the first morning urine). Taking a Home Pregnancy Test Too SoonAnother reason for a false negative pregnancy test may simply be that you took the test too early. Pregnancy tests vary in how soon they can detect hCG in your urine. It is possible that although an egg may be fertilized, your body has not started secreting enough hCG to register as positive on a test. Your body needs time for the hormone to rise to a high enough level to be detected. Most brands instruct you to wait until the first day of your missed period to test. Remember, hCG rises differently in each woman. If you suspect you are pregnant, even though the test is negative, the test should be repeated in one week. If you are trying to conceive and your period is more than one week late with a negative pregnancy test, you should consider consultation with a fertility doctor so that you can be properly evaluated and treated, if necessary.
When it’s time to take a pregnancy test, your emotions may be running high. Some women strongly suspect that they’re pregnant but then get a negative test result. If you’re sure you’re pregnant, but your test was negative, then read on. We’ve outlined the different ways your test could have gotten messed up. How accurate are home pregnancy tests?Before the 1970s, there was no way women could tell if they were pregnant without the help of a doctor. At-home pregnancy tests weren’t invented until 1976. The technology used in these tests has improved significantly since then. When used correctly, they are almost 99 percent accurate. If you’re attempting to use an at-home pregnancy test, read the directions carefully and follow them closely. Any skipped steps or timing issues can give you the wrong results. Take a quiz Find out what you can do with our Health Assistant The test strip is designed to track the levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. HCG is a hormone that’s created in your body once a fertilized egg implants in the uterus (or outside the uterus in case of an ectopic pregnancy). Your body only produces this hormone if you’re pregnant (the production of the hormone by some cancerous tumors is the only exception). HCG doubles roughly every 48 hours, but this isn't the case for everyone — you can use our online hCG calculator to track your hCG levels at home. To get the most accurate results, follow these steps:
Each test has different “positive” and “negative” indicators, so read your package carefully to make sure you know what the various results mean. Some common results for “pregnant” are:
Some women get a negative result only to find out later from their doctor that they are, in fact, pregnant. There are a few reasons why the test may not read your hCG correctly. What causes a false-negative pregnancy test?If you got a negative reading from a pregnancy test but later learned that you were pregnant, how did the test get it wrong? What causes false-negative pregnancy tests? There are a few ways that the test could read your urine wrong. Incorrect use of the pregnancy testIf you don’t follow the directions on the package, the pregnancy test will not be set up properly to test your urine. Each test is different and comes with different directions. You may have missed a step or performed the test incorrectly. If you’re getting a false-negative pregnancy result consistently and you’re sure that you’re pregnant, go to the doctor. They use a similar pregnancy test, but they’re used to the variables and can have more accurate results. Used the pregnancy test too earlyYour hCG won’t be high enough to detect until six days after conception. If you took the test too early, then the test will read negative even if you are pregnant. The test is fine-tuned to detect low amounts of hCG, but there aren’t enough hormones to be detected on the test until about a week after conception. It’s a good idea to wait until the first day of your missed period to take a pregnancy test. Once your hCG levels are high enough, your period should stop. That means it’s been at least six days since conception, and the test should read positive if you’re pregnant. Miscalculated menstrual cycleYou have to be sure about the timing of the first day of your period. Many women have irregular periods, or don’t track them, and may get the day wrong. When you track your periods, you can get to know your cycle. It has its own ebbs and flows, but you can learn the basics, like the typical length of your cycle. If you know your cycle, you can tell with more accuracy when you missed the first day. On average, a normal cycle is between 21 and 35 days. Some women take a pregnancy test just before their period is supposed to start, when hCG levels are too low to be detected. Diluted hCG levelsDiluting your hCG levels can also give you a false-negative pregnancy result. If you’re preparing to take a pregnancy test, it’s best to take it first thing in the morning. Some women drink water or other fluids early in the morning or late at night in order to be able to pee in the morning for the test. Diluting the urine can spread out the presence of hCG and make it too low for the test to read, giving you a false reading. Too much hCG in the urineConversely, if your hCG levels are too high, your pregnancy test can also return a false-negative. This is called a “hook effect.” It’s very rare, but it does happen. Pregnancy tests are designed to track a specific range of hCG in the body. If you have too little, (if you took the test too early or diluted your urine), it won’t be detected. If you have too much, (if you took the test too late), the test strip may not be able to bond to any of the molecules, possibly showing a negative result. What to do if you have a late period and negative pregnancy testsIf you’ve gotten a negative pregnancy test but haven’t had your period, is something else causing your period to be late? There are a handful of reasons (other than pregnancy) why you might miss a period, such as:
If these explanations don’t apply to you, visit the doctor to get a second pregnancy test. They use a blood test, which is more accurate and can detect lower levels of hCG than a home pregnancy test can. Bottom lineWhen it comes to pregnancy tests, follow the directions and know your cycle. If you’ve followed the directions closely and know your cycle well, you should get accurate results. However, if you suspect you’re pregnant and are still getting false-negative pregnancy test results, then go to your doctor. They can determine for certain whether you’re pregnant or if you’ve missed your period for some other reason. Updated on October 3, 2022 https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/home-use-tests/pregnancy https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003619.htm https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/getting-pregnant/in-depth/home-pregnancy-tests/art-20047940 How accurate is pregnancy test day before period?(For example, the Clearblue Early Detection Pregnancy Test claims more than 99 percent accuracy if you test the day of your expected period or one, two or three days before; 96 percent accuracy four days before; and 79 percent five days before.
Can you test negative 2 days before your period and still be pregnant?Testing Too Early
Even a test marketed as giving an early answer can give you a false negative if you test before your menstrual period is due. When you become pregnant, your level of hCG tends to double every two to three days in the early weeks of gestation.
How common is a false negative pregnancy test before missed period?Home pregnancy tests are usually accurate, but researchers estimate that up to 5% of tests give a false negative — meaning the test says you aren't pregnant when you actually are. There are a few reasons why you might get a false negative. You might be taking the test too early or after drinking too much water.
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Negative pregnancy test day before expected period
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