How common are false positives on preg tests?

Question

I have three differ preg tests that has come up very faint positives....is false positives very common? Do you know what causes them??

Answer 1

The chance of a false positive is extremely low. Most urine tests which have a faint positive in the window should always be classed as a positive full stop. The only time this should be ignored is if the test has been sitting too long. (over 5 mins the result can change).

Go to your doctor and get a blood test if your not sure. It just means you could have a low reading of the pregnancy hormone HCG.

Answer 2

Did all the faint positive lines show up before the 10 minute mark? If not then that is called a evaporation line and is not a positive at all.

Could I have a false positive? Check out The Truth About False Positives for an in-depth look at false positives. Essentially, it is possible, but it's unlikely. If you get two lines, you're most likely pregnant. Exceptions: if you have been taking certain fertility meds with hCG, the test may be picking up the hCG from the meds and not an embryo. Also, some tests develop "positive" lines after the time limit. You should NOT read the test after the time limit (usually 10 minutes, but check the directions that came with the test.) Yes, this means you should throw the test away and NOT dig it out of the trash in three hours to see if a line magically appeared. And, if the "positive" line is gray or looks like a "dent" in the test, it is an evaporation line and not a true positive.

Lastly, if you have been pregnant recently, it's possible that the test is detecting residual hCG. However, if a pregnancy ends early on, it's unlikely that hCG will remain in your system very long, so most women have nothing to worry about here. (It's extremely common for women to conceive immediately following an early miscarriage; the body is "primed" for pregnancy, so to speak, and elevated progesterone left from the miscarriage gives the next embryo a great shot at a healthy implantation. So, most women really are detecting a new pregnancy.)

However, the more hCG you had in your system when the pregnancy ended, the longer it will take to dissipate. HPT's can even detect residual hCG for up to 6 weeks following a full-term birth. It's a possibility you should keep in mind if you get positive HPT results soon after a previous pregnancy ended.

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Answer 3

False positives are rare enough on one pregnancy test, but three is not possible. The tests are designed to only react if the required amount of hCG is in your urine, when you're not pregnant it's not there. Congrats, three tests, faint or not, means you're going to be a mommy!

If you're unsure, wait a few days and take a digital one with your first morning urine, I suggest Clearblue Easy Digital.

Answer 4

If all three are faint positives, more than likely they are positives! My doctor told me that false positives are not as likely to happen. If your test is positive, it's highly likely that you're pregnant.

Answer 5

Sorry Hun false positives rarely happen, you can get false negatives, those are more common than the false positives. Congrats! Best of Luck to you.

Answer 6

If it is positive at all you may be. It is common to get a faint line, it is sometimes caused by your Hgc or wahtever levles being low. Take another in a week. It may be darker and more "true" Good luck, and i think you are pregnant.

Answer 7

there are no such things as a alse positive u either are or Not
there are some false negetives though Not false ppositives u coukd get a positive and then take another one and be negetive which ment u had a chemical pregnancy which emans u were pregnant but had a misscaridge many women have them without even noticing

Answer 8

A false positive is far less common than a false negative....

Answer 9

They are extremely rare. even a faint line means positive so congrats

Answer 10

personally, i've was in the same situation i then found out i had an ectopic pregnancy, you should dee your doctor