Can a pregnancy test come out positive and be wrong

If you have missed a period and recently had unprotected sex, you may be pregnant. Pregnancy tests are most reliable from the first day of your missed period.

When you can do a pregnancy test

You can carry out most pregnancy tests from the first day of a missed period. If you don't know when your next period is due, do the test at least 21 days after you last had unprotected sex.

Some very sensitive pregnancy tests can be used even before you miss a period.

You can do a pregnancy test on a sample of urine collected at any time of the day. It doesn't have to be in the morning.

Where you can get a pregnancy test

You can buy pregnancy testing kits from pharmacists and some supermarkets. They can give a quick result and you can do the test in private.

The following places provide free pregnancy tests:

  • sexual health services
  • some young people's services – call the national sexual health helpline on 0300 123 7123 for details
  • Brook centres for under-25s – find your nearest Brook centre

You may also be able to get a pregnancy test free of charge from your GP.

How does a pregnancy test work?

All pregnancy tests detect the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), which starts to be produced around 6 days after fertilisation.

Most pregnancy tests come in a box that contains 1 or 2 long sticks. You pee on the stick and the result appears on the stick after a few minutes. All tests are slightly different, so always check the instructions.

Pregnancy test results

Home pregnancy tests are accurate as long as you follow the instructions correctly.

A positive test result is almost certainly correct. However, a negative test result is less reliable.

The result may not be reliable if you:

  • do not follow the instructions properly
  • take the test too early

Some medicines can also affect the results.

If you get a negative result and still think you're pregnant, wait a few days and try again. Speak to your GP if you get a negative result after a second test but your period has not arrived.

Continuing with the pregnancy

If you're pregnant and want to continue with the pregnancy, contact your GP or a midwife to start your antenatal care. You can use the pregnancy due date calculator to work out when your baby is due.

If you're not sure you want to be pregnant

If you're not sure about continuing with the pregnancy, you can discuss this confidentially with a healthcare professional. Your options are:

  • continuing with the pregnancy and keeping the baby
  • having an abortion
  • continuing with the pregnancy and having the baby adopted

As well as a GP or a nurse at your GP surgery, you can also get accurate, confidential information – from the age of 13 – from the following:

  • sexual health services
  • the MSI Reproductive Choices website
  • the British Pregnancy Advisory service website
  • the National Unplanned Pregnancy Advisory service website

All these services – including community contraceptive clinics – are confidential. If you're 13 or older, the staff won't tell your parents. They'll encourage you to talk to your parents, but they won't force you. 

If you're under 25 and would prefer advice specifically for young people, the sexual health charity Brook provides a range of services for young people. The Brook website contains information on pregnancy choices. You can also use the Ask Brook 24/7 service.

Video: Is the pregnancy test accurate?

In this video, a midwife explains when you can take a pregnancy test and how to do it properly.

Media last reviewed: 5 February 2020
Media review due: 5 February 2023

No matter what, taking a pregnancy test can be an emotional roller coaster. When it comes to getting a false positive pregnancy test result, the experience can be deeply upsetting, particularly for anyone who has had a difficult time getting pregnant or is actively hoping to get pregnant (or both). The hope that comes with seeing that positive sign crashing down as you realize it was a false positive pregnancy test? It's a uniquely devastating emotion. 

Of course, getting a false positive pregnancy test when you’re actively trying not to get pregnant can be just as horrible. Yup, you could probably do without the panicked verification trip to the ob-gyn, just to learn there was nothing to stress over. 

Thankfully, experts note that false positive pregnancy tests are rare. Unfortunately, though, they can happen. Here are some of the most common causes of a false positive pregnancy test, along with some additional information that can help you put it all into context.

First, what is a pregnancy test?

Let's start with the absolute basics just to make sure we're all on the same page. A pregnancy test tells you if you’re pregnant or not. That's simple enough to understand. But it's understandable if you're a little fuzzy on the details of what these devices actually look for to identify a pregnancy.

At-home pregnancy tests check for the hormone hCG. HCG is short for human chorionic gonadotropin, which the body creates during pregnancy. Right after a fertilized egg attaches to the uterine lining, the placenta then forms and starts producing hCG1. A blood test can detect hCG about nine days after conception, and a urine test can detect it 12 to 14 days after conception, according to the Cleveland Clinic, although it varies—some especially sensitive urine tests can detect a pregnancy even earlier. A person’s hCG level typically doubles every 72 hours through 8 to 11 weeks of pregnancy. Then it remains consistent and starts to go down after delivery.

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How does a pregnancy test work?

An at-home pregnancy test is designed to find hCG in pee2. If the hormone is present, it triggers a chemical reaction and the test signals that you're pregnant. If hCG is not present, the test will say you aren't pregnant. Many tests use two lines to mean you’re pregnant and one line to mean you’re not—but it depends on the test brand. Some tests use plus and minus signs. Some digital pregnancy tests have a screen that plainly reads "pregnant" or "not pregnant." Which can save you some “Is that one line or two?!” squinting, at least.

Seems simple, right? As Ina Garten would say, "How easy is that?" Typically, pretty easy. Most at-home pregnancy tests claim to be about 99% accurate3. Ultrasounds typically can't detect a pregnancy until a little later in your pregnancy and that's why at-home tests are so useful. But, sometimes, other elements can mess with a pregnancy test's results and tell you you’re pregnant when you’re really not. 

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What can cause a false positive pregnancy test?

Here are the most likely reasons you may end up with a false positive pregnancy test:

1. You let the test sit too long before looking.

If you take a standard pregnancy test with line indicators, it's important to check the results according to the specific instruction of the test. If you let it sit too long before reading the results, urine on the test can evaporate and make it look like you have two lines instead of just one. "Oftentimes people will see evaporation lines as urine starts to evaporate off the test," Jamil Abdur-Rahman, M.D., board-certified ob-gyn, tells SELF. That might cause the test to look like it has a faint second line—making it positive—but it really only has one.

The best way to avoid this: Read the pregnancy test's directions and follow them exactly. The popular pregnancy test brand First Response, for example, instructs users to wait three minutes after taking the test, then read it as soon as possible4.

2. The pregnancy test is expired.

The second most common reason Dr. Abdur-Rahman's patients get false positives is because the test is expired, he says. When a test is past its expiration date, the chemical that detects hCG doesn't always work as it should, and you’re more likely to get a misread. "The test can expire and the chance of having a false positive increases," Dr. Abdur-Rahman says.

3. You’re on fertility medications that raise hCG levels.

If you take a pregnancy test too soon after taking a fertility drug that contains hCG—like some injections that are often part of in vitro fertilization—you could get a false positive.

Can you get a false positive on a pregnancy test?

A test may show positive if you have a chemical pregnancy (early pregnancy loss), an ectopic pregnancy, or a molar pregnancy, but this is not a false positive. What can cause a false positive? Getting a true false positive – one where you were never pregnant in the first place – is incredibly rare.

Can a pregnancy test be wrong if taken too soon?

But hCG levels start out very low and increase over time. If you take the test too soon after conceiving, it might say you’re not pregnant when you really are. In other words, timing can lead to a false negative. But what about a false positive? False positives aren’t super common, Dr. Emery says.

What happens if you take a pregnancy test after fertility therapy?

If you take a pregnancy test after fertility therapy, then you will get a wrong positive pregnancy test. Similarly leaving the pregnancy test for long can give false positive pregnancy test. Evaporation lines also cause wrong positive pregnancy test.

Can a chemical pregnancy give a wrong pregnancy test result?

3) Chemical Pregnancy can give a wrong pregnancy test result that is a false negative. Chemical Pregnancy is a short-lived pregnancy. If the pregnancy test kit is of good quality which considers other factors other than just hCG level, it can give a false negative result for chemical pregnancies.

What are the chances of a positive pregnancy test being wrong?

A false-positive test result only happens less than 1% of the time, but when it does, it can make the following days or weeks confusing before you realize you're not actually pregnant.

Why does one pregnancy test show positive and another negative?

This is because hCG levels rise rapidly in the first few days after implantation. It's also possible to get a positive test result followed by a negative result. If you use two different pregnancy tests, this could be the result of varying test sensitivity. Wait a few days and test again.

Can you get 2 false

Is it possible to have a false-positive pregnancy test? Yes! Here's everything you need to know about why that second line might appear when you're not actually pregnant.