PREGNANCY KIT

[23yetnotready]

Is a home pregnancy kit still advisable to use after 2 months of intimacy?

What a very faint positive line can indicate? Does it mean positive? Are there any chances to have false positive by user error? How likely?

[Sam W]

Hi 23yetnotready,

When and how to use a pregnancy test depends on the specific test you buy. You can read all about why that is, as well as how to interpret the results of pregnancy tests, here: Peeing on a Stick: All About Pregnancy Tests.

False positives are possible, but they are extremely rare. If you're concerned about getting a false result, we advise buying two tests and taking them both, since that will let you see if the results are consistent.

[23yetnotready]

Thank you for the answer. I got an faint positive line (you need to negative the picture in order to see that positive faint line) last month and the day after that I had bleeding. - I had fill a pad.
1. So is it still consider as positive?
2. Should I try once again a PT?
3. Is rook effect in PTs is possible (too much high HCG that may cause false negative) if I retook it after 2 months of intimacy?
Your specific answer will be much help for me to decide what will be my next course of action.

[Sam W]

The simplest thing to do would be to take another test and see if you once again get a positive result. To your third question, taking the test two months from the incident you're worried about would likely mean enough of that hormone it's looking for is present to give you an accurate result.

So you know, if you re-test and get a positive result again, we're more than happy to talk with you here about your possible next steps.

[23yetnotready]

I'm just too worried at the possibility of cross reactivity (a positive will turn to negative) due to too much HCG that can make the urine pregnancy test confused.

Thank you for your patience. This is too helpful to us! Though retook today and it's negative.

[23yetnotready]

This is what I am referring, how likely is this?

The other reason for false negatives was only recently described and is referred to as the "variant hook effect." This is much more common than the hook effect. As pregnancy progresses, there are actually different variant forms of hCG that begin to appear in the urine. After about 5 weeks of pregnancy (i.e. 3 weeks after the expected period) concentrations of hCG beta core fragment are higher than all other forms of hCG. This is perfectly normal. Unfortunately, the concentration of hCG beta core fragment can saturate one of the antibodies used in the assay in certain pregnancy kits, and the other antibody doesn't recognize the beta core fragment. As a result, no sandwich forms and the test is read as a negative. The farther in pregnancy a woman is, the more likely that this false negative will occur. Similar to the hook effect, the variant hook effect can be confirmed if testing shows a positive result after diluting the sample.
Posted by Ann M. Gronowski, PhD 5/8/11

[Sam W]

Am I right in that you had one test come out negative and the other come out positive? If that's the case, the simplest thing to do is take a third test and have that act as a tie-breaker. Too, if going to health clinic is an option available to you, you could go and have them perform a blood test for pregnancy.

As for the hook effect, it's not that common. If it was, pregnancy tests would not be nearly as reliable as they are and people would stop using them. Too, when I was looking for information on it, several large, reliable reproductive health organizations don't include it in the information they give about pregnancy tests. That suggests that it's a fairly rare occurrence.

[23yetnotready]

Thank you so much Sam, I superb appreciate your help.

Anyways, sep 19 is negative, sep 24 is very faint positive and today is negative.

Also another concern, how likely it's not to get a positive HPT and Blood test yet a pregnant one? Or rather, what type of test has a 100% accurate result (no loophole doubts)?

Sorry for so much question. Need to figure things out. Course of action you know.

[Siân]

Hi 23yetnotready.

Having had two pregnancy tests come back negative, it is very unlikely that you are pregnant. If you want to check in with your doctor for a blood test too then by all means do so, especially if you have missed a period or it is more than 5 days later than expected.

[23yetnotready]

Hi Sian,
Thank you for the answer. SO MUCH.
I think it's really a period last September 25 lasted for I think 5-7 days and I know I quite filled pads.
Yet now, kinda delay. Probably due to too much stress, especially one of the nurse we'd talked to that there's still 1% chance of being pregnant even got a period. And I know I had to overcome with it.
Also, the intimacy I'm referring is an (intense I think) rubbing of genitals, no intercourse involved. My partner didn't or never ejaculate near to mine, but we did that act twice that time, so you know, I just had learned the risk of precum and that ACT (through one of your article). And I have to sort my course of actions (especially when I got that faint positive).
Thank you so much for the help, guys!