Is it possible to still be pregnant after a negative blood test

Since veins and arteries differ in size from one person to another and from one side of the body to the other , getting a blood sample could be more difficult for some people. In order to get the required blood sample, you might need multiple pricks to locate a vein. Waiting to find out whether or not you're pregnant can feel like it takes an eternity, especially when you're anxious to get the results. It's best to take your doctor's advice and avoid testing too soon. Home urine tests or in-office blood testing can give you false information when not performed as directed.

If you have concerns or suspect a false negative or positive, talk to your doctor about further testing to confirm your results. Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy. Betz D, Fane K. Human chorionic gonadotropin HCG.

InStatPearls [Internet] Oct StatPearls Publishing. Cleveland Clinic. Pregnancy test information. Updated June 21, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Early pregnancy loss. Updated November Food and Drug Administration. Updated April 29, Assi TB, Baz E. Current applications of therapeutic phlebotomy. Blood Transfusion. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellFamily. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data.

For that reason, some women may think they are pregnant, when their period is late. So, it is possible for the pregnancy test to be negative. Even though this is rarer, it is possible that the pregnancy test has expired. When this happens, the reagent used to identify the presence of the bHCG hormone is not working properly, giving a false negative result. So, it is very important to check the expiration date on the packet before using it. Additionally, if pregnancy tests are not stored propely, even though they are within the expiry date, they may not give an accurate result.

For those reasons, if you suspect that the test is not giving the correct result, you will need to buy a new one. When a pregnancy test is done properly at the right time and it has even be repeated, but the result is negative and your menstruation still does not appear, it is probable that you are not pregnant.

You need medical care during and after a miscarriage. A miscarriage at any time during a pregnancy can leave some remnants in the womb. This can cause infections, scarring, and even some kinds of cancers. But if you do miscarry, a doctor can check for any leftover tissue with an ultrasound scan. You may need to have a procedure to remove the tissue. One way to do this is to dilute your urine before using a pregnancy test. After peeing in a cup, add a few tablespoons of water to your urine so it becomes lighter in color.

This might work because it reduces how much hCG you have in your urine. Another way is to avoid doing a urine pregnancy test first thing in the morning.

Many at-home pregnancy tests advise you to take the test after waking up because your urine is more concentrated then. This means more hCG. Instead, try waiting until later in the day to take a pregnancy test. In the meantime, drink plenty of water as another dilution technique. Getting a false-negative pregnancy test because of the hook effect is rare. False-negative test results can happen for many reasons. One older study that tested 27 different kinds of at-home pregnancy tests found that they gave false negatives almost 48 percent of the time.

You might get a false-negative pregnancy test for other reasons. Or you may take a test too early. It takes time for the hCG hormone to appear in your urine. Make a follow-up appointment a few weeks later and ask for another test and an ultrasound scan. If you have a molar pregnancy, you need urgent treatment and careful monitoring.

You know your body best. Let the doc know that the tests might be wrong if you feel that you might be pregnant. Learn about potential problems associated with rheumatoid arthritis and pregnancy, including triggers, preeclampsia, premature birth, and low birth…. Discover the best time to be tested for HIV.

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