Q&A: Is it possible to get a false positive on a home pregnancy test?

by Dr. Gerard M. DiLeo

Is it possible to get a false positive result on a home pregnancy test? I have taken several different tests and two came back positive (they were the same brand), and other brands came back negative. I am about a week late, and have a lot of the symptoms of pregnancy, but all these different test results are driving me crazy!

The most common type of false positives are caused by user error, or by assigning the results of one test's findings to another brand. (One might be a line if pregnant, or two, or vice versa, and the opposite for another--so read the directions carefully.)

Older tests used in the past relied on the half of the HCG molecule that the thyroid molecule has, so hyperthyroidism made them falsely positive--I don't know if these types of tests are even sold right now. When all else confuses, go with a blood test--it's foolproof!

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