Can you have a false positive?

Question

I took three tests this morning and they all came back positive. If I am pregnant I would be about 8 weeks now. I'e heard that you can have a false negative, but not a false positive. I'm just paranoid because we have been trying for so long (going on 4 years). Has anyone had a false positive before?

Answer 1

False positives are incredibly rare on pregnancy tests. The test looks for a hormone (hcg) that's only present in your body in measurable amounts when you're pregnant. It is possible, if you're undergoing fertility treatment with certain drugs that contain hcg, that you could have a false positive, but if you're in that situation, the doctors have probably advised you not to use an HPT.



Confirm with your doctor, but it's very likely that congratulations are in order.

Answer 2

After four years of trying, don't knock yourself out trying to decide if home tests are false positive, just make an appointment with your doc and have a test to confirm. Why waste your energy wondering? Get the answer you really want to hear!

Best of luck to you...I know how exciting this is.

Answer 3

It is more likely to have a false negative then a false positive. So the odds are you are pregnant. Congrats.

Answer 4

I wondered the same thing when I took the test (I took all three of them too) and the lady that answered the phone at the 800 number on the box said that the ONLY way that you could have a false positive is if you have had a miscarriage in the last 5 weeks, or if you are on fertility drugs. If neither of those scenarios apply to you then you are pregnant. Congrats!!!

Answer 5

Congratulations!! False positives are extremely unlikely. But, your doctor can do a blood test, just to verify and will make you feel better too!

Answer 6

It's difficult to have a false postive, it's very likely to have a false negative. However if you leave the stick for delayed time, it will show a postive result even it's negative.

Answer 7

Call your doctors office and make an appointment, so that you can get checked.



Good luck to you and your husband. : )

Answer 8

I haven't!! Congrats :)



But to make sure go buy the best test out there then get to the Dr. for the real Lab test!!

Answer 9

see a doctor and remove all doubt. Why play guessing games?

Answer 10

No, absolutely not. You are preggers sweetie. You can have a false negative, that you are right about, but not a false positive, since the positive is based upon levels of the pregnancy hormone HCG (or HGC-not sure which) Go to a doc, thats your best bet. The earlier you start, the better health you are providing for your little one. Congrats!

Answer 11

Congratulations girl!!! You are prego!!!! The hormones in your body would not make that line show up if you weren't. Better get into the doc!!!

Answer 12

False Positive Pregnancy Test Results and What Causes Them

A false positive pregnancy test is when the test says that you are pregnant but actually you are not. This is a one off case and a positive pregnancy test is a pretty good indication that you are pregnant. False positive pregnancy tests are rare - though there are instances and conditions where they can occur.



There could be various reasons for a false positive test.



Chemical Pregnancy

A chemical pregnancy is basically an early miscarriage. Research has shown that half of all first pregnancies end in miscarriage. Due to the high sensitivity of home pregnancy tests, many women catch early pregnancies but end up going on to have their periods due to a chemical pregnancy.



Missed Reaction Time

For accuracy in home pregnancy tests it is essential that you read the test results in the stipulated reaction time. If you let the test sit for too long (after the instructions on the box tell you), the test is invalid. This may cause it to show false positive results.



Chemical Interference

Drugs that have the pregnancy hormone Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) in them can cause incorrect results in home pregnancy tests. The Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) in them may be responsible for the false positive pregnancy test. If you have had an HCG shot due to infertilty treatments, you need to be sure the shot is out of your system before you attempt to use early pregnancy tests.



Evaporation Lines

While technically not a true pregnancy, some pregnancy tests leave a faint evaporation line as the urine crosses the test. This faint very light grey evaporation line in the test area is often interpretted as a positive result.



AimStick pregnancy test strips have a very good reputation of NOT leaving evaporation lines and are much less expensive than brands you can buy in your local supermarket or drug store.



If you are not sure about your home pregnancy results it is recommended that you try again after a couple of days. If doubts regarding the results still persist, you must see a doctor for a pregnancy blood test. A blood test administered by your doctor is more sensitive than the early home tests and can be taken between seven and twelve days after you conceive.

Answer 13

False positives are extremely rare...because as you probably know, the way home pregnancy tests work is by picking up the HCG in your urine- which is only produced by being pregnant. So- having a false positive would be highly highly unlikely and I don't even know how it would happen.

Answer 14

last time i had a scare the doctor told me to just go ahead and take an at home pregnancy test...she said u can have a false negative, saying ur not pregnant - when u really are, but u can not have a false positive. when its positive, thats exactly what it means....

Answer 15

I think you can pretty much quit trying now...I think you are DEFINITELY pregnant!! You could probably have one false positive (very rare), but I highly doubt that you could have 3 of them!! Congrats!! I would go to the doctor though if you are still not sure if you are pregnant!! They will do a blood test and it will be 100% accurate!! Again, congrats...

Answer 16

There are such things as false positives but that normally only happens once in a great while and if you've taken 3 tests honey just be excited! Your having a baby Congratulations.!!!

Answer 17

they say that a positive is more likely that you are pregnant then a negative but a negative would come out more accurate so if it came out to be positive three times then you are more likely that you are pregnant i have 2 kids and one on the way if i was you i would go to the health department because more and likely you are the tests don't lie espeically three of them.

Answer 18

I can completely understand your disbelief...but the chances of three separate tests that all say positive being wrong are so slim I'm not sure it's really possible. Call the doctor and set an appointment!



CONGRATS MOM-TO-BE, YOUR TIME HAS COME!!!!!!

Answer 19

Aboslutely, there are false positives. To put your mind at ease, have it checked again but not too soon after your first test.



But yes, there is always a chance no matter how small that there could be a false positive.



Good Luck

Answer 20

yeah my gf has before. we thought she was and she took it quite a few times and each time it came out positive. but she really wasn't. i've read that the best time to take a prego test is to do it in the morning cuz in the morning is when a women has the most hormones to tell if she is or not.

Answer 21

It's really rare to get a false positive. Even if the lines are barely there, it still indicates a positive.



Congrats!

Answer 22

False negatives -- yes... False positives ---no. The tests work by detecting pregnancy hormone in the urine. Early in a pregnancy, that hormone is too small to be detected by some tests. As the pregnancy progresses the amount of hormone in the urine increases.



Congratulations! You are pregnant!

Answer 23

False negatives happen, a false positive on the other hand is very very unlikely. CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Relax and take it easy til Thursday.

Answer 24

You are definitely pregnant! Congrats!



(3 in a row false positives is unheard of, really)

Answer 25

No, you cannot have a false positive. A preg. test detects the pregnancy hormone HGC. If it is there, you are pregnant, end of story. Congrats!

Answer 26

I know you can have a false positive. Make you doctors appointment and find out for sure. Crossing my fingers for you. Good Luck.

Answer 27

congrats hun! I think you are offically pregnant!!!

Go get a blood test done to verify but congrats!

Answer 28

Nope, only false negatives!



Congratulations!

Answer 29

if all three came back positive then you are.

YAY!!!!! HURRAY!!!! now go to the doctor & see how far along. don't ruin the moment.

Answer 30

Not likely.

Answer 31

no...the test looks for HCG...you only have HCG if you are pregnant. Congrats!!

Answer 32

yeah its sorta like a refrigerator raider.

Answer 33

no never

Answer 34

nope, i never have...Congratulations