When trying for a baby, you can go through more than a few pregnancy tests, so dollar store tests may seem like a frugal choice. But are they accurate? Show
When Mary Raca was trying to get pregnant with her second child, she picked up 10 pregnancy tests from the dollar store and began testing every morning. Even though the packages said they’d be most accurate if used on or after the expected date of her next period, she started testing four days before her period was due. “I lost the ability to wait,” she confesses.
 15 signs of being pregnant But after several days of negative results despite a suspicion that she was pregnant, Raca grabbed a pricier name-brand digital test on her lunch break. Though that morning’s dollar store test had been negative, the digital test declared that she was pregnant. This story doesn’t surprise Beth Taylor, an infertility specialist at Olive Fertility in Vancouver. “For the average woman, dollar store tests are fine and just as accurate as name-brand tests,” she says. But they do require patience, which she acknowledges can be in short supply when you’re trying to get pregnant. “You need to wait until the date of your expected period,” says Taylor. If your cycle is unpredictable, you’ll want to tack on a few extra days so that you don’t accidentally test too early. Pregnancy tests work by detecting a hormone known as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and cheaper tests generally require a higher threshold of hCG to trigger a positive result. Since hCG increases dramatically each day during the first few weeks of pregnancy, holding off on using a test until your expected period can be the difference between a false negative and a positive result—that is, unless you invest in a more sensitive early-detection test, which will likely cost you more. But even doctors rely on the cheap ones sometimes. When Jen Hughey, a mom in Minden, Ontario, got free tests from her local clinic, Hughey asked where she bought them. “They admitted that they were just like the dollar store tests, only shipped to their medical office in bulk for patient use,” she says. From then on, Hughey bought most of her tests from the dollar store. She recommends them, noting that she learned about all three of her pregnancies using these cheap tests. In Canada, all pregnancy tests are licensed by Health Canada, which requires manufacturers to provide documentation that products do what they claim to do. Because of this, even cheap tests are extremely accurate when used properly, and false positives are almost unheard of. “If your dollar store pregnancy test gives you a positive result, you’re pregnant,” says Taylor. “You don’t need to retest.” However, be sure to check the expiry date because Taylor notes that old tests might give false negatives. Since a pair of name-brand pregnancy tests can easily cost over $20, dollar store tests can be a huge savings for couples who need multiple tests. “Knowing I wouldn’t go broke paying for pregnancy tests made me feel that much more relaxed,” says Hughey. Read more: Today’s at-home pregnancy tests tend to be very accurate when used correctly. However, there are instances—though rare—in which they can produce incorrect results. False pregnancy tests are usually due to user error, though there are other factors that can skew a test’s results. Read on to learn what can cause a false negative pregnancy test, as well as exactly how these tests
work. At-Home Pregnancy Tests Find the most popular at-home pregnancy tests on Amazon A pregnancy test is used to determine whether or not an individual is pregnant. The type of pregnancy test used at home is a urine test, which measures the level of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in a pregnant person’s body. This hormone is only produced when you
are pregnant, and it appears soon after the embryo attaches to the uterine wall. To take an at-home pregnancy test, you either place the test strip in your urine stream, or dip the test strip into a cup of collected urine. When the urine is placed on the test, the antibody in the test recognizes and hooks onto hCG if it is present. The test has a coloring agent that is activated when the hormone is detected, which will result in a line coming up or another indicator of the pregnancy test results, such as a digital screen reading ‘yes’ or ‘no’. How Accurate Are Home Pregnancy Tests?The at-home pregnancy tests currently available on the market are “very good tests,”according to Thomas M. Price, M.D., medical director of the Duke Fertility Center and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University Health System in Morrisville, North Carolina. “The over-the-counter tests have become very sensitive,” says Dr. Price. “The false negative rate, if done appropriately, is less than 1%.” If someone waits until the appropriate point in their menstrual cycle and ensures that their urine is concentrated enough at the time of testing, then it’s highly unlikely that an at-home pregnancy test will provide incorrect results, he explains. However, it’s possible to get a false negative pregnancy test. False positive results are possible as well, though Dr. Price notes that they are “very rare.” What Can Cause a False Negative Pregnancy Test?As for what can cause a negative pregnancy test, there are a few potential explanations. Testing Too EarlyFalse negative pregnancy tests are “almost always” caused by timing, meaning the user is testing too soon, according to Dr. Price. If someone tests too early in their cycle, the placenta may not have produced enough hCG for the test to detect it yet. This could also occur if someone doesn’t wait long enough after intercourse to take a pregnancy test. It’s recommended you test as soon as you’ve missed your period. Diluted UrineAnother potential cause of a false pregnancy test is if the urine used for testing is too diluted. If the urine is not concentrated enough, then there may not be enough hCG in it for the test to detect. Because of this, Dr. Price recommends not drinking any liquids for a couple of hours before taking a pregnancy test. Urine also tends to be less diluted first thing in the morning, as you likely haven’t consumed any liquids overnight. Too Much or Fragmented hCG HormoneFalse pregnancy test results can also occur if there is too much of the hCG hormone, or if the test captures a degraded form of the hormone, called hCG core fragment, which tends to increase as one’s pregnancy progresses. In the first scenario, when there is too much hCG, the elevated levels of the hormone can essentially overwhelm the test, causing it to produce a false negative. This is referred to as the “hook effect.” The hook effect tends to happen further along in pregnancy, when levels of hCG increase. The second scenario occurs when there is more of the fragmented hormone present, which, again, is generally when the pregnancy has progressed. In this case, the test may capture the fragmented hormone rather than the intact hormone. However, the test’s signal antibody does not respond to the fragmented hormone, and thus the test’s coloring agent is not activated, leading to a false negative. What If My Period Is Late and Pregnancy Tests Are Negative?If your period is late yet your pregnancy test keeps coming back negative, you’re not alone—Dr. Price notes that this happens very frequently, as there are a number of reasons for late periods that have nothing to do with a potential pregnancy. “Some women do not always ovulate on a perfectly regular basis,” he says. “And if you don’t ovulate, then you’re going to not have a period or will be late on your period.” However, if irregular periods are a routine occurrence, then this could signal an underlying issue. “If it’s a chronic occurrence, women that just have irregular periods, there are several medical disorders that can cause that,” says Dr. Price. This could include disorders such as thyroid conditions and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Aside from medical disorders, factors like stress, excessive exercise and a low body weight can also cause someone to miss their period. When to Call a DoctorIf a person is concerned, or has symptoms of pregnancy but is getting negative or irregular test results, Dr. Price says to call the doctor. This is also the case if someone is having difficulty interpreting their test results and can’t tell for sure if it’s positive or negative. “It’s very easy to call and go in to get a blood test,” says Dr. Price, noting that blood tests are “as accurate as you can get.” Additionally, Dr. Price advises that anyone who is experiencing chronic irregular periods should see a gynecologist. Consult An Obstetrician-Gynecologist Zocdoc helps you find and book top-rated doctors, on demand. Visit them in their offices, or video chat with them from home. Check out the obstetricians and gynecologists in your area. Find an OB-GYN Can cheap pregnancy tests give false results?Testing problems
Kirkham confirms that pricey tests aren't more accurate than inexpensive ones. Even a cheap, dollar-store pregnancy test will not increase your chances of a false positive.
How common are falseMany home pregnancy tests claim to be 99 percent accurate. However, home pregnancy tests differ in the ability to diagnose pregnancy in women who have recently missed a period.
What can cause a falseWhat causes a false-negative pregnancy test?. Incorrect use of the pregnancy test. If you don't follow the directions on the package, the pregnancy test will not be set up properly to test your urine. ... . Used the pregnancy test too early. ... . Miscalculated menstrual cycle. ... . Diluted hCG levels. ... . Too much hCG in the urine.. How soon will a cheap pregnancy test work?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.
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Can cheap pregnancy tests give false negatives
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