Can i test negative for pregnancy and still be pregnant

If you feel as though you’re pregnant but got a negative home pregnancy test result, your symptoms could be down to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or you may have taken the test too early.

Can a pregnancy test be wrong?

It is possible to get a false negative on a pregnancy test (where the test says you're not pregnant, even though you are), particularly if you've tested before your period is due. If you've just had one negative result, you could try waiting for a few days and testing again, just to be sure.

Could there be another reason for my symptoms?

If you've waited until after your period was due, and multiple tests have come up negative, it's unlikely that you're pregnant. There's probably another explanation for the symptoms you're experiencing, such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Read on to find out what could make you feel pregnant when you're not.

How accurate are pregnancy tests?

Midwife Caron Cooch explains how soon after a missed period you can take a pregnancy test and how to do it properly.More getting pregnant videos

Here are some of the most common pregnancy symptoms, with other possible reasons you might feel them:

Missed period

Your period could be late for a number of reasons, including stress, being over- or under-weight, or polycystic ovary syndrome. Learn more about what causes late periods and when to see your GP.

Tender breasts

If your breasts are more sensitive than usual, this could be a sign of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Many women find their breasts become a little tender before their period arrives. If you're trying to conceive, it's only natural to pay extra attention to how your body is feeling, so you may notice this tenderness more than usual.

Less commonly, sore breasts can be a sign of a condition such as mastitis (which can happen even if you're not breastfeeding). If the pain is very bad, your breast looks red or swollen, or you also have a temperature, see your GP.

Cramps or bloating

As with tender breasts, tummy cramps or bloating can also be a sign that your period is on its way. If it lasts beyond your period, it could be a sign of illness, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). See your GP if the pain is getting worse, keeps coming back, or is accompanied by other symptoms, such as bleeding, discharge, or pain when using the toilet.

Fatigue

Tiredness is yet another classic PMS syndrome. It can also be associated with depression or anxiety – both common among people who are trying to conceive. If you're suffering from low mood, your GP can help.

Some medical conditions can also cause extreme tiredness, such as anaemia (iron deficiency), diabetes, or an underactive thyroid. If you're feeling tired all the time, and getting plenty of rest and sleep doesn't help, see your GP.

Morning sickness

Nausea and vomiting could be due to a simple tummy bug, usually caused by either food poisoning or a virus. If so, it should get better on its own within a few days. In the meantime, call in sick to work, and be sure to keep your fluids up to avoid dehydration. If you're still vomiting after two days, see your GP.

Frequent urination

Women in the early stages of pregnancy often need to wee more often, due to pregnancy hormones. However, it can also happen if you have a condition such as a urinary tract infection (UTI) or diabetes. If you're finding that you need to wee more often than usual, see your GP.

If you've been trying to conceive for a while without success, it may be worth seeing your GP for a fertility check-up. If you're 35 or younger, you and your partner can usually get fertility tests if you've been trying for at least a year. If you're over 35, see your GP sooner than this – they may offer tests after about six months of trying.

More information:

• Read our expert tips on how to cope with not conceiving.
• Learn more about how to get a fertility test.
• Find out what a faint line on a pregnancy test really means.

Polly Logan-Banks is an experienced editor with a keen interest in producing evidence-based content. Polly is passionate about ensuring that every child gets the best start in life.

• A false-negative pregnancy test may happen if you don't take the test first thing in the morning.
• It could also occur if you take the test less than 10 days after conception.
• Checking the results too soon or using an expired test could also show a false negative.

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.

The best way to ensure an accurate at-home pregnancy test result is to carefully read the instructions on the box and follow them correctly.

Here are several reasons why you might get a false negative and how you can properly take a pregnancy test.

1. You took a test too early in the pregnancy

Pregnancy tests work by measuring the levels of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your urine. The amount of hCG in your body starts to increase once a fertilized egg implants in your uterus, and can be detected about 10 days after conception.

Where you are in your cycle also matters. "Most pregnancy tests will perform well if it is at the time of your missed period, which would typically be 2 weeks after ovulation or 28 days after your last period started," says Pamela Berens, MD, an OB-GYN with UT physicians and the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston.

If you take a pregnancy test before this time, you might get a negative result, even though you're actually pregnant.

2. You checked the results too soon

Your pregnancy test should come with instructions about how long you will need to wait between taking the test and checking your results — the wait time is usually about one to two minutes. This is because the antibodies in the test need time to sense the hCG in your urine and display a result.

If you check the test before the waiting time is up, you may see a negative result even if you're pregnant.

3. Your urine is too diluted

To get an accurate positive result from a pregnancy test, you need to have a high concentration of hCG in your urine, which can be affected by several factors.

• Your urine has the highest concentration of hCG levels first thing in the morning. "If you can't take a test in the morning, try to use urine that has been sitting in your bladder for around four hours.
• Drinking lots of fluids can dilute your urine and lower the concentration of hCG, so it's best to avoid drinking too much water or other drinks before taking a pregnancy test.

4. Your pregnancy test is expired or faulty

If your pregnancy test is expired, it might give a false negative result. This is because the antibodies in the test that react to hCG hormones slowly evaporate over time — eventually there will be too few antibodies to accurately sense hCG.

You should always check the expiration date on a pregnancy test before using it to make sure you're getting an accurate result — they will often expire after a year or two on the shelf.

Pregnancy tests may also be defective. However, this is more the exception than the norm since many tests come with a control indicator to prove that the pregnancy test is working properly. This indicator may show up as an additional line that appears next to the test line or a symbol that appears in a window, depending on the type of test you take.

How to properly take a pregnancy test

To get the most accurate result on a pregnancy test, it's important that you follow the instructions that come with the test. Here's a round-up of what to remember before taking the test.

1. Wait until at least 10 days after your last unprotected sex session to take the test.
2. Take the test first thing in the morning or after holding your urine for at least four hours.
3. Before starting, check the expiration date on your pregnancy test.
4. Read all the instructions that come with the test to make sure you're using it correctly.
5. Pee on the test stick for the recommended amount of time.
6. Place the test stick down and set a timer for the number of minutes the test requires.
7. When reading the test, first look for the control indicator to make sure the test is working.
8. Read the test, carefully following the instructions for how to interpret it.
9. If the test results are unclear, wait a day before trying again with another test, or reach out to your doctor for a follow-up.

Next steps

If you aren't pregnant, your period should usually come about 28 days after your last period started. If your period is late, it may be a sign that you're pregnant, but there are many other reasons for a late period.

"If [a late period] is unusual for you, then you should probably see a doctor," Berens says, adding that weight changes, thyroid disease, and hormone imbalances could also be to blame for an irregular period.

Your doctor can also conduct a pregnancy blood test, which is more sensitive to hCG and can double-check your urine test result.

Insider's takeaway

Getting a false negative on a pregnancy test is relatively rare, but it is possible, particularly if you take a test soon after ovulation. To reduce your risk of a false negative, take the test first thing in the morning and follow test instructions carefully.

False negatives are usually caused by testing errors, and medications like birth control or antibiotics shouldn't make any difference.

But certain fertility drugs, such as Novarel and Pregnyl contain hCG, which can lead to a false-positive result, where the test says you're pregnant when you really aren't.

Madeline Kennedy is a health writer for Insider covering a wide range of topics including reproductive and sexual health, mental health, nutrition, and infectious disease. Before joining Insider, Madeline worked as a health news writer for Reuters, and a domestic violence therapist. She has a master's degree in social work from UPenn and is interested in the intersection of health and social justice.

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