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QUESTION
I have 2 wonderful children (2 and 7) which means I know what means to be pregnant. Women health is a priority in my family and I never smoke, never drink and/or use any drugs. I missed my period and I check my pregnancy test which is negative. But I still feel pregnant. Can I have false pregnancy test? What are main Causes for False Negative Pregnancy Test?
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ANSWER from experts
Most pregnancy tests are usually 97%-99% accurate when all instructions are followed correctly and the results are read on time. It means in 1-3% cases you could have false pregnancy test. In most cases we could have false negative pregnancy test. False positive pregnancy tests are rare, but they do occur.
Main Causes for False Negative Pregnancy Test include the following:
 If pregnancy test was taken too early. One reason for a false negative pregnancy test could be that you took the test too early for the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) to be present in your blood. Pregnancy tests vary in their sensitivity which means how soon they can detect the hormone hCG in your urine. It is possible that although your ovum might be fertilized, meaning you may be pregnant, but your body has not started secreting enough hCG for the test to measure. Your body needs at least 14 days after ovulation for the hormone to rise to a high enough level to be detected in a test.
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If you made mistakes and errors during testing. Improper testing can lead to false negative results. There is a possibility that while using the home pregnancy test strip you either did not dip it well or did not hold it well in your urine stream, depending on the test you are using. This error in technique may give false negative results.
If you read pregnancy test results in wrong time. For accuracy in home pregnancy tests it is essential that you read the test results in the stipulated reaction time. All test kits indicate their specific reaction time on the package itself. Pregnancy test instructions will specify when test results should be interpreted and when test results are no longer valid. If you let the test stay too long (more than indications in the instruction), the test is invalid. This may cause it to show false negative results.
If you had defective pregnancy tests. Expired tests or faulty home pregnancy tests can also lead to false negative results. Always check the expiration date before testing to assure accurate results. Keep in mind, even with the highest quality control, an occasional defective test may occur.
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