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What Causes A False Positive Pregnancy Test Result?
Hello Doc, I took a serum pregnancy test yesterday as a requirement for my incoming internship and the result came positive but how did it happen? I am a virgin and never had a sexual contact before and yesterday was just my last day of period. I took the result and went to another clinic to seek for an OB GYNE... The ob gyne asked if I wanted to repeat the test so I agreed and the result came negative. I was then asked to return today for ultra sound to check if I have cyst or some medical conditions that affected the result to be positive. So my question is, what is happening to me?
Fri, 27 Apr 2018
Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service.
I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.
The false positive pregnancy test is a condition that can occur.
First of all let me explain what is a pregnancy test, a pregnancy test is a test that evaluate the presence in urine or serum of beta HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), a hormone released by a growing embryo and placenta.
HCG in serum have similar structure with other hormones (LH, FSH and TSH) that depending on the technology of measurement of the lab can interfere in the serum HCG measurement resulting in a false positive result even in normal level of HCG.
HCG is also produced from cancer tissue, trophoblastic cancer.
Some women have in their body interfering antibody that can interfere with HCG serum test resulting in false positive test even in normal serum level of HCG.
In urine test it can happen because the presence in urine of blood, protein and some medication like Tranquilizers, Anti-Convulsants, or Hypnotics.
You should repeat the serum pregnancy test in another lab and consult your gynaecologist; you have to do ultrasound examination to clarify your situation.
Hope this answers your question. If you have additional questions or follow up questions then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your questions.
Kind Regards,
Dr. Marsida Janko
I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.
The false positive pregnancy test is a condition that can occur.
First of all let me explain what is a pregnancy test, a pregnancy test is a test that evaluate the presence in urine or serum of beta HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), a hormone released by a growing embryo and placenta.
HCG in serum have similar structure with other hormones (LH, FSH and TSH) that depending on the technology of measurement of the lab can interfere in the serum HCG measurement resulting in a false positive result even in normal level of HCG.
HCG is also produced from cancer tissue, trophoblastic cancer.
Some women have in their body interfering antibody that can interfere with HCG serum test resulting in false positive test even in normal serum level of HCG.
In urine test it can happen because the presence in urine of blood, protein and some medication like Tranquilizers, Anti-Convulsants, or Hypnotics.
You should repeat the serum pregnancy test in another lab and consult your gynaecologist; you have to do ultrasound examination to clarify your situation.
Hope this answers your question. If you have additional questions or follow up questions then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your questions.
Kind Regards,
Dr. Marsida Janko
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