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A woman takes a pharmacy pregnancy test and it is positive, but when she takes more specific tests, she finds out that she is not really pregnant. Have you heard of cases like this? This can be a source of frustration for many, especially those who have been trying for a long time, but why does this type of error occur?
What makes the pregnancy test always positive? The answer to this is usually that the woman has beta HCG hormones without pregnancy . It is a phenomenon that is not well known, but that occurs with many women for various causes.
We are going to talk today about how this happens and what are the dangers that are involved in this wrong production of hormones. But first, it is necessary to explain better what HCG is and what its functions are in a woman’s body.
What is HCG Hormone?
Human chorionic gonadotropin, pregnancy hormone, Beta-HCG or simply HCG , is the main hormone produced by a woman’s body during pregnancy. It is responsible for the main symptoms of early pregnancy , such as nausea, fatigue and the most sensitive emotional.
This hormone is unique to pregnancy , meaning when a HCG level is high, a test will usually point to pregnancy. This is true in the vast majority of cases, but there are some other specific cases where HCG exists without pregnancy.
Let’s investigate further how this phenomenon occurs and what changes are happening in a woman’s body so that hormone levels end up being changed.
The False Positive of the Pregnancy Test
Pregnancy tests show a positive result when they identify the appearance of HCG in a woman’s urine or blood. What happens is that, in some cases, this hormone is being produced without the woman being pregnant , hence the false positive name.
It can be a big disappointment for a tempting one or a big surprise or concern for women who weren’t expecting it. It is necessary to visit a doctor to detect the causes of these hormonal changes and, if necessary, to carry out some type of treatment.
What Causes Change in a Woman’s HCG Levels?
There are basically three main causes for a change in a woman’s HCG levels to occur. They are:
- Some diseases;
- Some medications;
- Menopause
Let’s talk about how each one can change hormone levels and whether it is dangerous or not.
Illnesses
There are some diseases that cause HCG levels in a woman’s body to rise even without her being pregnant. They are diseases like tumors that produce hormones, which can happen even with men in some cases. Some of the most common diseases are gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and hydatidiform mole .
Medicines
Women who undergo fertility treatments may end up reporting HCG levels even if they are not pregnant. This is because this type of medication stimulates the production of hormones as a way to make women more fertile, which ends up accusing this false positive many times.
Even for that reason, a woman should never rely on the test alone to know whether she is really pregnant or not. The beta HCG blood test, in addition to the ultrasound, must be performed for confirmation.
Menopause
Menopause is a real transformation in a woman’s body, which means that sometimes their hormone levels change. And one of these modifications can end up accusing HCG even if the woman is not pregnant and completely healthy.
It is not abnormal to happen and that also does not mean anything about the health of women. Therefore, it is not a cause for concern.
Difference Between Qualitative and Quantitative HCG
There are two ways to measure the HCG hormone, qualitative and quantitative. The first indicates whether or not there is a hormone in the blood in which the test was performed and the second indicates the amount of this hormone.
The result of the qualitative test is faster and it can indicate a pregnancy, however, as there are cases of HCG without pregnancy, it is necessary to perform the quantitative test to find out exactly the amount of hormones in that sample.
The most common is that, when HCG exists without pregnancy, the hormone levels are lower than normal, indicating that the presence of this hormone has other origins.
The quantitative test is important to end the distrust of a woman who thinks she is pregnant, but is not. In addition, the result of this test will be the starting point for future procedures , such as the treatment of the disease that is causing it, to be carried out.
As you can see, there are certain occasions when HCG without pregnancy occurs. And although it is not always a concern, it is necessary to talk to your doctor to make sure that no action should be taken.
When a woman wants to have a child, one of the main actions that must be taken is to take care of her own health , that is, not to let any external problem hinder a future pregnancy.
This is how you ensure a smooth pregnancy and a healthy baby in the future. It may seem laborious and even unnecessary for many women, but it is the most important thing to be done in order to have a safe pregnancy.
See Also: Pharmacy Pregnancy Test: Is It Now Positive or Not?
My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.
Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.
