Can nexplanon cause a false negative pregnancy test

Home pregnancy test brands boast of their accuracy. Some even claim they can give results before a missed period. But is this always true? In a perfect world, these tests would be as accurate as they claim to be. But there are a lot of factors that could impact your result. Here is a look at what can and cannot affect your at-home pregnancy test.

Birth Control

Birth control cannot give you a false positive or a false negative. At-home pregnancy tests rely on a hormone called hCG to detect pregnancy. This hormone is not a component of any common birth control method including the pill or IUD. While the most reliable contraceptives on the market today are hormone based, the hormones in these methods are usually estrogen and progesterone.  Neither estrogen or progesterone impact pregnancy tests.

Wrong Time

Taking a pregnancy test at the wrong time can absolutely cause a false negative. While many tests claim they can reveal a pregnancy before a missed period, this is not the case for all women. The body produces hCG in very low levels at the beginning of pregnancy, and these levels are not yet high enough to be found during a home pregnancy test.

As your pregnancy progresses, hCG levels will double every 48 to 72 hours. The higher they become the more likely you are to get a positive result. Testing before your hCG rises to a detectable level is a sure way to get a false negative.

Diluted Urine

Pregnancy tests need an adequate concentration of the hCG hormone to detect pregnancy, which means diluted urine can give you a false negative. Avoid drinking too much water when you plan on testing. And never test your urine once it has been in the toilet. To get the highest concentration of hCG, try to test first thing in the morning before you have had anything to drink.

Medication Interactions

When it comes to medications some drugs may cause false positives. Common drugs like over-the-counter medications and antibiotics will not affect your pregnancy test, however many fertility drugs like Profasi, and Pregnyl can. These medications help women get pregnant and contain conception stimulating hormones which can give inaccurate results. If you are taking any medications that contain hormones associated with conception or pregnancy, speak to your doctor before testing.

Following the exact instructions that come with your pregnancy test is the best way to ensure accuracy.

If you’re still not 100% sure, come get a free pregnancy test at one of our clinics. They’re lab quality and completely free with no insurance required.

Questions? Text or call us at 877-668-2566.

Yes.

No contraceptive method is completely effective, so it's always advisable to take a pregnancy test if you think you might be pregnant, regardless of the type of contraception you're currently using or have used in the past.

Hormonal methods of contraception – such as the contraceptive pill, contraceptive implants and injections – contain the hormones oestrogen and progestogen. They work by changing your balance of hormones.

However, these hormones will not affect the result of a pregnancy test because they are not used to measure whether or not you are pregnant.

How pregnancy tests work

A pregnancy test only reacts to the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG).

However, if you're pregnant, this hormone may not be detected in your pee (urine) until around 13 to 16 days after the release of an egg (ovulation), which is around the time you would normally get your period.

Until this time has passed it is not usually possible to see a positive result in a pregnancy test.

Urine tests require a certain level of HCG to be present in order to indicate a positive pregnancy result. Blood tests are more sensitive because they can detect a smaller amount of HCG, which means that pregnancies can be picked up earlier, usually between 6 to 8 days after ovulation.

HCG is sometimes used in fertility treatment, which could cause a false-positive result (where the result shows as positive but is actually negative).

You should wait 14 days after having fertility treatment before taking a pregnancy test. Your doctor can advise you on this.

A negative result

If you get a negative result after taking your pregnancy test, it can mean several different things.

Firstly, it can mean you are not pregnant, or that you have taken the test too early. Taking a test too early is easily done because it can be difficult to work out the exact day you began ovulating.

If you think you may have taken the test too early, wait a few days before taking a second test, or see your GP for advice.

Negative results may also be because you have used the pregnancy test incorrectly. Home pregnancy tests can vary, so always read the instructions carefully before you do the test.

Drinking too much fluid before a test can also lead to your urine being diluted, which can affect the levels of HCG in your sample.

If you are in any doubt about your pregnancy test result, you should make an appointment with your GP.