These days, taking a home pregnancy test is as easy as drinking water. It’s simple, just saturating the absorbent tip of the pregnancy test with urine, and then waiting to see two pink lines. So, what if you see a faint line? You start panicking, right? “Am I pregnant?” you sit and ask.
A faint line amounts to a faint positive pregnancy test only if you followed the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Basically, any line that shows on the test is caused by hCG in the urine. There are 9 reasons why a faint line shows on a home pregnancy. Let’s learn more…
1- Taking the pregnancy test too early
A faint line may occur when you take a pregnancy test when the pregnancy is still in its early stage. During the first week of pregnancy, the levels of hCG are very low.
2- Dilute urine
Most home pregnancy test manufacturers recommend during the test using the first morning urine which is highly concentrated with hCG. During the day, the urine becomes diluted as you take more water, for example. Dilute urine has a low concentration of hCG. Thus, a faint line will appear in the test.
3- Pregnancy test sensitivity
Each pregnancy test has its own sensitivity depending on its manufacturer’s standards. Some are very sensitive whereas others are least sensitive. A very sensitive test detects pregnancy at 20 mIU hCG levels. A least sensitive test detects pregnancy at 100 mIU hCG levels. Thus, a very sensitive test will form a darker line, and vice versa.
4- Certain medications
Some certain fertility medications contain hCG which leads to a false positive. It may form a faint line on the home pregnancy test.
5- Evaporation line
An evaporation line forms when the urine starts evaporating from the home pregnancy test. The line appears where the positive result line would appear. It looks more of a shadow than a line because it is colorless.
6- Chemical pregnancy
A chemical pregnancy, another term for a very early miscarriage, produces hCG. However, it never develops into a normal pregnancy. The hCG levels due to a chemical pregnancy may cause a faint line.
7- Reading pregnancy test results after the recommended manufacturer time
Follow the manufacturer’s recommended time for best results. Otherwise, if you read the results after the stated time, you will get a faint line which may be an indication of a faint positive pregnancy test.
8- Improper calculation of expected period
It is always advisable to record your period cycle dates to avoid miscalculating the expected period date. If you test before you get your period, you will get a faint line.
9- Improperly stored or expired pregnancy test
If you use an expired home pregnancy test, you will most likely see a faint line. If the pregnancy test were stored against the manufacturer’s recommendations, it may result into a faint line. Always check the expiry date on the test box and follow to the recommended storage conditions.
Next time a friend asks you anything about faint positive pregnancy test, I am positive you will share these points.
