Negative urine test, yet pregnant
Apr 23, 2023
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Lv Aiming
Introduction
The use of substandard early pregnancy test strips, non-first-morning urine, or diluted urine may lead to false-negative results in urine tests. Testing too early, when the pregnancy duration is still short, can also result in false negatives because hormone levels in the body have not yet risen significantly enough to be detected by the pregnancy test strip. It is recommended to wait until one week after a missed period before testing again.
Pregnancy tests that analyze urine detect the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the urine. A negative urine test result despite being pregnant may be due to inaccurate testing or testing too early in pregnancy. A blood HCG test should be used to confirm pregnancy. Specific reasons are analyzed as follows:
1. Expired or defective test strips
Using substandard, expired, or damp-affected pregnancy test strips may lead to false-negative urine test results. It is recommended to retest using a new test strip or pregnancy test kit.
2. Incorrect testing method
Not following instructions—such as not using first-morning urine or using diluted urine—may result in a false-negative outcome.
3. Testing too early
If the pregnancy is still very early, testing may occur before hormone levels have risen sufficiently to be detected by urine pregnancy tests, resulting in a false-negative result. It is advisable to wait until your period is at least one week late before retesting.
If the urine test is negative but the blood HCG test is positive, this confirms pregnancy. In such cases, regular prenatal checkups and folic acid supplementation are important.
