There are many of information related to pregnancy tests. In the early period, women didn't have an accurate method to confirm their pregnancy. So women reach healthcare institutes to seek help to ensure pregnancy. This method was followed until the introduction of home pregnancy tests.
A woman can recognize or guess the pregnancy without advanced technological techniques because of the changes in the menstrual cycle. Absent menstruation is the first sign a woman identifies when she is pregnant.
But there are instances where a woman can experience missed period with a negative pregnancy test. The following can be the reason for your missed period with negative pregnancy tests.
Why would a woman have a Negative Pregnancy Test but missed period?
Whenever you get a negative home pregnancy test, you will be advised to repeat the test for several days. If you continue getting negative test results, you are not pregnant. Many other reasons can influence your menstruation cycle, resulting delayed period.
But you can experience a false negative pregnancy test result with a delayed period. This is something to concern. You can repeat the pregnancy test to confirm that the test result is not a false negative test. Following are a few reasons to experience false negative pregnancy test results.
- Too early pregnancies cannot be detected using home pregnancy tests as the HCG hormone level has not reached the threshold.
- Medical issues can show the test results as unfavorable when you are already pregnant.
- Defective or expired pregnancy test kits can result in false negative results.
Causes of a Negative Pregnancy Test with a missed period
Little hormone levels
When a woman tries to conceive, she is always alert about her menstruation cycle. When she experiences a delayed period, she will imagine she is pregnant. But the urine pregnancy test can be negative. But still, you have a chance of getting pregnant within the same cycle. Early pregnancy cannot be detected via a urine pregnancy test.
Lower HCG levels during early pregnancy can result in a negative pregnancy test result, and you can still be pregnant. According to the studies, the threshold level of HCG hormone for a urine pregnancy test should be at least 25 million international units/ 25mIU/mL.
Menstrual cycles may vary individually. When a woman conceives later on in her menstrual cycle. However, she expected a positive result. You will fail to receive a positive test. You will not conceive according to your regular calendar when you have an irregular menstrual cycle.
Make sure to retest the pregnancy test when you get a negative result following a delayed period. If you still get the same result with no period, meet your physician as soon as possible.
Too much-diluted urine
Your test will show that you are not pregnant when the test is done with diluted urine. Although your body produces HCG hormone, you will receive negative pregnancy test results when the urine concentration is not enough to detect the pregnancy.
Following the guidelines given with the test kit may help to avoid such instances. It is recommended to use early morning urine for a home pregnancy test as the urine is concentrated and contains enough HCG. You will get false negative pregnancy test results when you obtain urine samples during the day, after consuming a lot of fluids, and after taking diuretics.
Multiple pregnancies
In rare cases, multiple pregnancies can provide negative pregnancy test results, and this is medically called as hook effect. Multiple pregnancies produce higher HCG levels when compared with a normal pregnancy. So too much HCG cannot be detected with a home pregnancy test.
An overwhelming pregnancy test may result in high HCG levels. Therefore, HCG hormone fails to react with the test kit's reactive agent and fails to show the test result as positive.
Ectopic pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancies are rare; among them, negative pregnancy test results are too rare. In rare cases, ectopic pregnancies will show the pregnancy as negative. Still, there is a chance of having a growing embryo inside the body which may be life-threatening.
Consult a physician immediately when you experience the following symptoms with negative test results and no period.
- Severe lower abdominal pain
- Dizziness
- Bleeding through vagina
- Nausea
Breastfeeding
During breastfeeding, mothers can experience irregular menstrual cycles. Although your menstrual cycle restores, you may still experience irregular periods. Night feedings and changes in the amount of feeding will interfere with the regularity of your period.
So delayed period can be wrongly guessed as a pregnancy.
Medications and medical conditions
Certain oral contraceptive pills and antihypertensive medications may alter the menstrual cycle resulting delayed period. Some medical conditions, such as thyroid dysfunctions and polycystic ovarian syndrome, can make changes within your monthly cycle. So you will experience a delayed period. When you participate in a pregnancy test, you will get a negative result as you are not pregnant.
Summary
Try to consult a physician whenever you receive negative pregnancy test results following a delayed or missed period. There are several reasons for a negative pregnancy test. You may be pregnant or not pregnant. Therefore physician's further investigations are needed to confirm whether the test result is true or false.
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