can you have an ectopic pregnancy and a negative test?
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A negative pregnancy test does not absolutely rule out pregnancy or ectopic pregnancy; it may simply be too early to detect hCG in the mother's urine or blood. A doctor may also order one or more quantitative hCG tests to help diagnose (or rule out) an ectopic pregnancy.
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If you have had your tubes tied and you are getting a positive urine pregnancy test at home, it is very important that you see your doctor to first confirm that you are in fact pregnant, and second, to make sure you don't have an ectopic pregnancy.
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Could a negative result be wrong? It's possible to get a negative result from a home pregnancy test when you're actually pregnant. This is known as a false-negative.
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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.
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According to the literature, a negative pregnancy test via urine or low β-hCG in serum of pregnant women is 3.1% and 2.6% respectively in ectopic pregnancies8-10. In addition, more than 1% of ectopic pregnancies are associated with undetectable levels of β-hCG.
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It's possible to get a negative result from a home pregnancy test when you're actually pregnant. This is known as a false-negative.
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To find out if you have an ectopic pregnancy, your doctor will likely do: A pelvic exam to check the size of your uterus and feel for growths or tenderness in your belly. A blood test that checks the level of the pregnancy hormone (hCG). This test is repeated 2 days later.
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Diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy If your pregnancy test is negative, it's unlikely that your symptoms are being caused by an ectopic pregnancy. If your pregnancy test is positive or your symptoms strongly suggest you have an ectopic pregnancy, your GP may refer you to a hospital specialist.
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False-negative results If an hCG test comes back negative, that generally means you're not pregnant. However, if the test was performed too early in the pregnancy, before your body has had time to produce enough hCG, you can get a false negative.
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A pregnancy test can detect hCG levels within 10 days of a missed period, and some tests can detect it even earlier, within a week of conception. A negative pregnancy test does not absolutely rule out pregnancy or ectopic pregnancy; it may simply be too early to detect hCG in the mother's urine or blood.
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However, negative results are less reliable. For example, if you do a pregnancy test too early, you could be pregnant, but there may not be enough HCG in your body to give a positive test result. Pregnancy tests vary in their sensitivity (how soon they can detect HCG and what level of HCG needs to be present).
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So, ectopic pregnancy with negative serum HCG level is a rare particular form of chronic ectopic pregnancy. In consequence, acute rupture of ectopic pregnancy with negative serum HCG level is a very uncommon event. Only a few cases are reported on Medline.
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However, some women who have an ectopic pregnancy have the usual early signs or symptoms of pregnancy — a missed period, breast tenderness and nausea. If you take a pregnancy test, the result will be positive. Still, an ectopic pregnancy can't continue as normal.
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Chemical pregnancy Others might have a positive pregnancy test, but will then experience heavy bleeding and have a negative pregnancy test soon after. The most important thing to understand about first trimester miscarriages is you usually can't do anything to prevent them.
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If your pregnancy test is negative, it's unlikely that your symptoms are being caused by an ectopic pregnancy. If your pregnancy test is positive or your symptoms strongly suggest you have an ectopic pregnancy, your GP may refer you to a hospital specialist.
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A pelvic exam can help your doctor identify areas of pain, tenderness, or a mass in the fallopian tube or ovary. However, your doctor can't diagnose an ectopic pregnancy by examining you. You'll need blood tests and an ultrasound.
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Since ectopic pregnancies still produce the hormone hCG, they'll register as a positive home pregnancy test. Women with ectopic pregnancies will also experience early pregnancy symptoms like sore breasts, nausea, spotting, and more.