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Pregnancy

False positive HPT

14 replies

amyd42 · 19/05/2015 07:25

Has anyone ever had a false positive on a digital test? I took a Tesco own brand digital last night 'pregnant' then another one this morning 'not pregnant', then a clear blue non digital 'negative' and Tesco own brand 'negative'. So 3 negs after getting a pos. I thought false positives weren't possible but am 1 day late with my period now. I'm like clockwork usually. Baffled!!

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00100001 · 19/05/2015 07:28

I would just wait a week or so and test again. One day late isn't that late tbh.

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00100001 · 19/05/2015 07:28

I always thought you could only get false negatives on these tests

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JemFinch · 19/05/2015 07:30

I also thought you couldn't get a false positive. To get a positive you have to have the hormone present, can't get it without it.

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amyd42 · 19/05/2015 08:21

Thanks, that's why I'm so baffled. I've heard of 'chemical pregnancy' where it's a very early miscarriage which could suggest why this happened. But have no other symptoms. I'll give it a few days and retest. What a head-masher!

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MaximumVolume · 19/05/2015 08:34

A false positive is pretty rare with pregnancy tests. As a pp said, you have to have the hormone present for the line to form. However, with a digital, there is a chance (I guess) that the digital display has somehow malfunctioned.

Other possibilities are chemical pregnancy, as you mentioned and that you are pregnant but that either the pregnancy tests used subsequently are less sensitive (i.e. they need a higher concentration of hormone to show as pregnant) or your urine was more dilute (did you think that you'd drink loads of water so that you could test again to be sure?)

If you are pregnant, then the HCG will be increasing rapidly so you should be able to get a positive result soon.

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Number3cometome · 19/05/2015 08:55

False positives can happen, but usually not with digital ones!
Usually the false positives are just an 'evaporation line' which appears to be a positive.

But if you read this test within the time limit and it said 'positive' then I don't see how that could be wrong.

Clear blue are notoriously rubbish for their digital ones saying not pregnant.

I would buy a first response test and try that - they are very reliable.

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amyd42 · 19/05/2015 08:56

Thanks maximumvolume the one I did last night was probably more diluted to be honest. All the negatives this morning were from first of the day so should be quite concentrated.

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00100001 · 19/05/2015 09:27

Report back in a week or so :)

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amyd42 · 19/05/2015 09:31

Will do

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willitbe · 19/05/2015 14:19

Some women in the early days get stronger levels in the evenings than the mornings. I always find testing with second morning urine, gives me a clearer line than the first morning urine.

It could just be a normal fluctuation in concentration in urine. If so you will get clearer positive results over the next few days. You could try testing later in the day without taking too much to drink just before hand.

It could be a chemical pregnancy, where your period will arrive very soon.

Or it could have been a false positive, it is possible to get a false positive on a digital test, where the "not" just fails to appear on the test apparently. In which case you may still at only one day late get a real positive in the next few days.

With any of the scenarios it is unfortunately just a matter of time. I hope you get the result you want!