Faint Line on a Pregnancy Test: What Does It Mean?

Eager parents-to-be are not famous for their patience, especially when it comes to checking &#; and rechecking &#; whether or not their baby-making efforts have paid off. If you're among their ranks, chances are you've stockpiled home pregnancy tests and use them regularly. 

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But though they're an affordable, easy-to-use and convenient way to find out if you're expecting, home pregnancy tests can be confusing, especially if you're very early in your pregnancy. Here's a guide to deciphering what those little lines or plus signs mean.

What does a faint line on a pregnancy test look like?

Depending on what kind of pregnancy test you use, you'll see a plus or minus sign or, more commonly, a line or two in the window that reveals the results. While the way the results are displayed varies between tests, they all detect the same hormone &#; human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).  HCG is the hormone produced by cells that will become the placenta. 

Make sure you read the instructions on the pregnancy test packaging carefully so you know exactly what you should look for. A sensitive pregnancy test can detect hCG in your urine as soon as 8 to 9 days after ovulation, but most home pregnancy tests are not that sensitive. It's best to wait until the day of your missed period.

If you're pregnant but very early in your pregnancy, the line or double line on your pregnancy test will likely be barely visible, like a smudge of chalk. If you're farther along and the hormones are flowing, the line or lines will resemble marks drawn with a Sharpie.

If there's no line or positive result, it doesn't necessarily mean you're not pregnant (though that is a possibility). Instead, it could simply mean that there's not enough hCG yet for the test to detect. This is called a false negative result. The hCG level doubles approximately every 2 days &#; so the chance of a false negative occurring decreases the longer you wait to test.

What does a very faint line on a pregnancy test mean?

A very faint line on a pregnancy test usually means that implantation has occurred and you're in the early stages of pregnancy. But you'll want to test again a few days or weeks later to see if that line has become thicker and darker, meaning your pregnancy is progressing &#; and you can safely start getting excited!

It is possible to see a faint line on your pregnancy test and get your period a few weeks later, meaning that you're not actually pregnant, or were only briefly pregnant. This doesn't mean the test didn't work, but you might have experienced a very early and common pregnancy loss called a chemical pregnancy. It could also indicate other kinds of early pregnancy losses like an ectopic pregnancy. Trusted SourceAmerican College of Obstetricians and GynecologistsEctopic PregnancySee All Sources [1]

As upsetting as it can be, you probably never would have realized what had happened if that faint line hadn't clued you in, and the event will have no impact on your ability to get pregnant again.

If the results of your home pregnancy test are confusing or unclear, contact your OB/GYN to get a blood pregnancy test to confirm the pregnancy. This test measures the exact level of hCG in your blood and if there is any concern about the health of the pregnancy, the test can allow your doctor to trend the levels to ensure all is progressing well in the early stages.

What does a positive pregnancy test result look like?

A positive pregnancy test result will typically either show up as a plus sign, two double lines, or one line in a results circle or window, though there are other kinds of test results, including the digital ones that show the word "yes" or "pregnant" when they're positive.

Can a barely visible pregnancy test result be negative?

A barely visible pregnancy test result usually can't be negative &#; because it detected hCG &#; but it might indicate a false positive or an early pregnancy loss. However, false positive results that are not related to early pregnancy loss are incredibly rare.

Most home pregnancy tests claim to be up to 99 percent accurate &#; and when tested by lab technicians in ideal settings they probably are &#; but studies of home pregnancy tests used in the real world by women at home suggest they're slightly less reliable. Trusted SourceU.S. Department of Health & Human ServicesPregnancy TestsSee All Sources [2]

Here are instances in which you might see a faint line on a pregnancy test but are not actually pregnant or have a nonviable pregnancy:

• Menopause. If a woman in perimenopause or menopause misses her period and takes a pregnancy test, the results sometimes (but rarely) show up positive due to abnormally elevated levels of luteinizing hormone.
• Fertility medications or other drugs. False positives can be caused by traces of fertility drugs or other medications containing hCG (though it's unlikely). If you received an hCG injection as part of fertility care, levels can remain elevated for at least seven days afterwards even if you're not pregnant. 
• Early pregnancy loss. A false positive can also indicate a recent chemical pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy or another type of early pregnancy loss.
• Illness. Very rarely, some cancers that interfere with hormonal production can result in a misleading pregnancy test.
• Heterophilic antibodies. Women who work closely with animals, usually laboratory animals, can develop antibodies that bind erroneously to the test used for hCG detection.

Here's why you might be pregnant yet see a negative result on your pregnancy test:

• It's too early. If it's very early in your pregnancy, concentrations of hCG may not have reached detectable levels yet. The best bet is to wait a week and test again.
• You checked the results too soon. Of course you're impatient! But give the test the full time recommended on the package instructions to reveal results. You can use the timer on your watch or a kitchen timer to make sure you're waiting long enough.
• Your urine is diluted. Good for you for staying hydrated. But if your urine is too diluted for the test to detect hCG, the results might be inaccurate. Taking the test first thing in the morning (when your urine is the most concentrated) is often recommended, but it's not necessary because modern-day pregnancy tests are super sensitive and can pick up even very low levels of hCG.

  Trusted Source

  National Institutes of Health

  Pregnancy Test

  See All Sources [3]
• The test is expired, or you made a mistake. If you didn't follow the instructions to the letter, or have a home pregnancy test that's expired, there's a chance that the results might be inaccurate.

If you get a faint positive pregnancy test, are you definitely pregnant?

If you get a faint positive pregnancy test, you are almost always pregnant, but it may be too early to celebrate. Home pregnancy tests differ in their ability to detect a pregnancy in women who have recently missed a period, either because of a chemical pregnancy or other reason.

If you have a negative test but think you might be pregnant, or vice versa, repeat the test one week after your missed period or talk to your practitioner. And remember, a blood pregnancy test from your OB/GYN is always more accurate.

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A faint positive line isn&#;t uncommon and there are a few possible explanations.

With some home pregnancy tests, one line means the test is negative and you&#;re not pregnant, and two lines mean the test is positive and you are pregnant. A faint positive line in the results window, on the other hand, can leave you scratching your head.

Some pregnancy tests are more sensitive than others and can accurately detect a pregnancy several days before a missed period. But after taking a home test, you may notice a faint positive line.

Missing a period is one of the first signs that you might be pregnant . You may take a home pregnancy test as soon as possible. If you have very early pregnancy symptoms, such as implantation bleeding , you may even take a home pregnancy test before your first missed period .

Getting a faint positive on a home pregnancy test can mean that you&#;re pregnant or were previously pregnant. But sometimes a faint line can be the spot where your urine evaporated from the stick.

Keep in mind that not all home urine pregnancy test are this accurate. You may want to consider taking a repeat urine pregnancy test and seeing whether you get a more definitive result.

Although hCG is present in their urine, they have a lower level of the hormone, resulting in a positive pregnancy test with a faint line. These women are pregnant, but they&#;re not far along in the pregnancy.

Some women take a home pregnancy test early in their pregnancies. They often take them before or shortly after their first missed period.

Home pregnancy tests are designed to detect this hormone . If hCG is present in your urine, you&#;ll have a positive test result. It&#;s important to note that the more hCG in your system, the easier it is to see and read a positive line on a home test.

As soon as you become pregnant, your body begins producing hCG. The hormone level increases as your pregnancy progresses.

But in other cases, the positive line appears faded. In these instances, a faint positive can be caused by low levels of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).

If you take a home pregnancy test and the results reveal a clearly distinguishable positive line, there&#;s a strong possibility that you&#;re pregnant.

Taking a home pregnancy test and getting a faint positive line doesn&#;t always mean you&#;re pregnant. Sometimes, what appears to be a positive line is actually an evaporation line. These misleading lines can appear in the results window as urine evaporates from the stick.

If a faint evaporation line develops on your home pregnancy test, you may mistakenly think that you&#;re pregnant.

It can be hard to determine whether a faint line is a positive result or an evaporation line. The primary difference is that evaporation lines appear in the test window several minutes after the recommended time for checking the test results.

If you take a home pregnancy test, it&#;s important to read and carefully follow the instructions. The package will let you know when to check your test results, which can be within three to five minutes, depending on the manufacturer.

If you check your results within the recommended time frame and see a faint positive line, you&#;re most likely pregnant.

On the other hand, if you miss the window for checking the results and you don&#;t check the test until 10 minutes later, a faint line may be an evaporation line, which means you&#;re not pregnant.

If there&#;s any confusion about whether a faint line is a positive line or an evaporation line, retake the test. If possible, wait two or three days before taking another one.

If you are pregnant, this gives your body additional time to produce more of the pregnancy hormone, which can result in a clear, undeniable positive line.

It also helps to take the home pregnancy test first thing in the morning. The less diluted your urine, the better. Make sure you check the results within the appropriate time frame to avoid confusing an evaporation line with a positive line.

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