For the vast majority, it is a very decisive moment when you have to read a pregnancy test -perhaps after several days of impatient waiting. But for some, the decisive moment can still be confusing, because maybe there is a line? Or what if the pregnancy test suddenly looks positive if you look at it after half or a full hour? We try to guide you here
If the line is visible within the allotted time
If your test is positive - i.e. a line with color appears on the pregnancy test's test line within time - then you are pregnant. But some still find that they get their period on the day of their period or a few days after, and then it is easy to think that the pregnancy test was false positive. But in the vast majority of cases it is due to a biochemical abortion. In other words, an abortion that occurs in weeks 3-5. That is, during the period when a pregnancy can only be measured on a pregnancy test or a blood test, but where you will not be able to see a fetus with a heartbeat on a scan. But this does not change the fact that if a colored line has appeared within the time stated on the instructions for use, then an elevated hCG level has been measured, which can only mean that you are/were pregnant.
Shadow line or positive test?
The pregnancy test has two antibody lines. One is the control line, which turns color when dipped in urine. If the control line appears with color, you also know that your test is working as it should. The second line is called the test line, and this line only gets colored if your urine contains the amount of hCG that your pregnancy test is sensitive to.
However, some tests may leave a faint line or the hint of a line, even if you are not or have recently been pregnant. This can happen when the urine flows through the pregnancy test, leaving a faint shadow line on the antibody line with no color. This line can unfortunately be mistaken for a positive test on all pregnancy tests except for digital pregnancy tests, which give a clear answer. See our selection here
Test positive after time
When you use a pregnancy test, it is very important that you read the instructions for use before and observe the time intervals stated. This also means that if you read the test later than the time period stated in the instructions for use, the test may become weakly false positive. The reason is that the chemical reaction that occurs in the test can continue after time, and this can mean that a faint or completely clear line appears after time. In some cases, a positive timed test taken very early in the cycle CAN be an early sign of pregnancy. But as a starting point, the test is negative after some time, and the best thing you can do for yourself is to look at the test. Hold it out at arm's length and then throw it COMPLETELY away if you can't see a line. Then you can always test again after a few days.
Miscarriage risk
About half of all pregnancies end in a biochemical miscarriage. This is because the fertilized egg has been broken down and rejected by the body. Most often because something went wrong in the fertilized egg, which would mean that the egg would never develop into a viable fetus. If you experience several repeated miscarriages, you can read more here: Repeated miscarriages - what do they mean and what can I do? – Gravidtid
Remember: If you are in doubt, you are always welcome in our Facebook group: Gravidtid.dk | Facebook which is exclusively focused on our users evaluating each other's tests and having their tests evaluated by others. We know that trying to conceive can be a private thing. Therefore, no one can see who a member of the group is. It is also possible to make anonymous postings.
See our selection of pregnancy tests here: Graviditetstests – Gravidtid