Odd pregnancy tests

My mate (and before anyone says it, yes this is definitely my mate and not me :mad:

)was a week and a half late with her period. She told me she was positive she was pregnant no matter how much i tried to tell her there was a chance she wasn't.
Her and her boyfriend told his mum that they thought she was and she got her a test. But it came out negative. She did another one a few days later and that came out negative.
So is it possible that the tests can't tell shes pregnant yet (even though i think she would have conceived about 3 weeks ago), or is it possible shes not pregnant and just extremely late. She told me that her periods are regular normally.

Reply 1

Adarah

16

Maybe there is some other stress she was going through before and that made it late - I know that for me stress and worries have a huge influence on my period. Some times I even miss one completely when I'm stressed.

Reply 2

Elles

17

I imagine these tests are carefully designed to minimise false negatives & if anything tend towards false positives, because the dangers of receiving a negative result when someone actually is pregnant are higher than thinking you are when you're not.

so if she's done two tests correctly (definitely read the instructions?) & both are negative it's veeeery unlikely.

to completely set her mind at rest she could ask her GP to do one? & at the same time discuss any stress/problems that may be making her late? :smile:

Reply 3

The_Kangaroo

1

If the test is positive then she is definitely pregnant, the test is for a hormone that is produced by the baby - if the test says positive then she will be.

Sounds like she isn't, but she should see a GP - there are a few reasons why a period can be late. Maybe changed her type of pill? Or missed a couple and started again, this usually disrupts the natural menstrual cycle.

Reply 4

lou p lou

2

false negatives do actually occur more often then false positives because they test for a chemical that is produced by a baby and sometime this chemical doesn't show up for a bit, but saying that if she used a decent one (ie. one that works the first date of a missed period) this is pretty unlikely

if she's in doubt she should have a proper blood test at the doctors as they have a much higher level of accuracy

lou xxx

Reply 5

mtbab

17

home pregnancy tests are not fully accurate at all, and there have even been tests done where women in their second and third trimester come out with negative pregnancy results, and they will also give false negatives. Once she did the home preg test, and it came out pos, she should have gone stright to her GP to do a blood test as well, is accurate and would confirm it, and then would be able to go on from their, to judge something form 3 home preg tests is silly, first thing tomoro tell her to got to morning sugery and get a real test.

Reply 6

Elles

17

lou p

because they test for a chemical that is produced by a baby and sometime this chemical doesn't show up for a bit...

nooo! thanks for telling me.. :wink:

i suppose i count using a reputable test & after the appropriate time as stated on the packet as doing it "correctly".. & if done "correctly" i still imagine the design of their test would be to tend to false positive.. i'm sure there are plenty of anecdotal cases etc etc. but.. :p:

Reply 7

need_money

OP

9

The_Kangaroo

If the test is positive then she is definitely pregnant, the test is for a hormone that is produced by the baby - if the test says positive then she will be.

Sounds like she isn't, but she should see a GP - there are a few reasons why a period can be late. Maybe changed her type of pill? Or missed a couple and started again, this usually disrupts the natural menstrual cycle.

She wasn't on the pill before but she went on it after taking the tests.

Reply 8

Elles

17

definitely get her to a doctor then to confirm.

if you think you might be pregnant you should stop taking the pill.

Reply 9

Ellie4

2

need_money

She wasn't on the pill before but she went on it after taking the tests.

So she doesn't know if she's pregnant or not, but she's now gone on the pill...?

Reply 10

need_money

OP

9

Yeah, strange, i know.

Reply 11

lou p lou

2

Elles

nooo! thanks for telling me.. :wink:

i suppose i count using a reputable test & after the appropriate time as stated on the packet as doing it "correctly".. & if done "correctly" i still imagine the design of their test would be to tend to false positive.. i'm sure there are plenty of anecdotal cases etc etc. but.. :p:

nah seriously false positives are almost impossible cos of the way the test works. the only fully accurate test is a proper blood test

lou xxx

Reply 12

Ellie4

2

need_money

Yeah, strange, i know.

And pretty dangerous/stupid if she is pregnant. Tell her to stop taking it!

Reply 13

lou p lou

2

need_money

Yeah, strange, i know.

not just strange, but dangerous. my friend got pregnant while on the pill and miscarried cos she had continued with it (it was only when she miscarried she found out she'd even been pregnant), if there is any chance of pregnancy a woman shouldn't be on the pill/ injection or anything like that

lou xxx

Reply 14

Helenia

20

mtbab

home pregnancy tests are not fully accurate at all, and there have even been tests done where women in their second and third trimester come out with negative pregnancy results, and they will also give false negatives. Once she did the home preg test, and it came out pos, she should have gone stright to her GP to do a blood test as well, is accurate and would confirm it, and then would be able to go on from their, to judge something form 3 home preg tests is silly, first thing tomoro tell her to got to morning sugery and get a real test.

Most home pregnancy tests are now >99% accurate. And I don't know, maybe Elles can help me out, but re. the negative tests in 2nd/3rd trimester, could this be because hCG levels (what pregnancy tests test for) have dropped by this time and been replaced by hPL?

Reply 15

Ellie4

2

Ooo ooo human chorionic gonadotrophin?!
*Remembers a bit of A level biology*
:biggrin:

Reply 16

mtbab

17

ok, but the fact is a blatantly pregnant woman was considered to not be by the test, just get yaself to a gp, you should do that first before you go telling people that was just silly, lol

Odd pregnancy tests

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