Do hCG Drops or Pills Cause False Positives in Pregnancy Tests?
The renewed interest on human chorionic gonadotropin has likewise given rise to genuine concerns about its short- and long-term effects. While long-term side effects are minimal, if at all, the more immediate concern, especially among women of child-bearing age, is that it may cause false positives in pregnancy tests. The concern is quite understandable because hCG is a determinant in the early stages of pregnancy, especially the days following conception. This is a stage where there are no recognizable fetal signs, so the only way to get an initial finding is to test the urine for the presence of hCG.
How is pregnancy testing done at home?
After conception, the levels of hCG are on the rise to signal the corpus luteum (that part of the ovary that houses the eggs) to produce progesterone. Progesterone is what stimulates the thickening of the uterine wall to support the growing fetus.
Home-testing kits allow women of child-bearing age to determine whether they are pregnant or not before they formally consult in a clinic. In home-testing kits, urine is placed on a strip of paper that is sensitive to levels of hCG. The indicators will signify positive results when the level of hCG is high enough to be detectable.
Will I get false positives when testing for pregnancy using home-testing kits?
No. Homeopathic hCG drops are diluted many times over in the same way that pills are; hence, these can be purchased over-the-counter because the dosage is lower than naturally-occurring hCG. The levels of homeopathic hCG in urine is low enough to be left undetected by home pregnancy-testing kits.
So why is a friend of mine who is on the hCG cycle tested positive?
Was she on homeopathic hCG?
She wouldn’t have tested positive if she were, unless she really was pregnant.
The hormone is delivered into the bloodstream three-ways: through homeopathic drops; through pills; and through injections. The first two ways are given in low doses, that’s why they can be purchased without a prescription. The injectable hCG however, is an entirely different story. Injectables use hCG in undiluted amounts, hence a doctor’s prescription is necessary to get this anti-obesity treatment. This hCG in pure form is injected into the muscle tissue, so when it is eliminated through urine, the levels are high enough to be detected by home pregnancy-testing kits. Hence, it is possible to test positively if you are on the injectable program.
What do I do if I’m on homeopathic hCG and I tested positive?
Though this is unlikely, a positive result using home-testing kits is not conclusive, especially if the test was done too early. Try to wait for the hCG cycle to get completed before testing again. Give enough time for the body to pass the hCG fluid through the usual excretory process. If you are still getting positive results, and you suspect that you are indeed pregnant, the best way to confirm is to have yourself checked at a clinic. There, they will gather not only urine samples, but blood samples as well to get conclusive results. They will make their recommendations depending on the collective results of samples they took, so if you are really pregnant, the lab tests will confirm.
