Follow the instructions below to understand your FIRST RESPONSE™ Pregnancy Test results:
Pregnant
Two pink lines in the pregnancy test result window means you are pregnant. A positive test result shows that the pregnancy hormone (hCG) was detected.
One pink line and one line lighter than the other in the pregnancy test result window means you are pregnant. Any positive test result (even a very faint line) shows that the pregnancy hormone (hCG) was detected.
Not Pregnant
One pink line in the pregnancy test result window means you may not be pregnant, or it may be too early to tell.
CAUTION: If you choose to test early and the result is negative, you may not be pregnant or it may be too early to tell because your urine does not have enough hCG for the test to give a positive result. If you do not get your period within seven days, you should retest with another FIRST RESPONSE™ Early Result Pregnancy Test. If you receive another Not Pregnant result and your period still hasn’t started, we recommend you consult your healthcare professional.
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After getting a negative result on a home pregnancy test, it's fair to conclude that you're not pregnant. However, if you happen to glance back at the test later in the day, you may be surprised to see that a positive line has magically appeared. There are a few reasons why this can happen. However, in most cases, the originally reading of the test, "not pregnant," is typically the correct one.
What Are Evaporation Lines on a Pregnancy Test?
The instructions on most pregnancy tests will advise you to read the results within a certain window of time. This usually ranges between a couple of minutes up until 10 minutes later. If you see a positive result beyond this time frame, you may be left second-guessing the results.
However, the false-positive reading, in this case, is due to something called an evaporation line. Evaporation lines are not indicative of a true positive result.
Evaporation lines happen when the urine that was on the test area starts to dry. The chemical composition of the urine sample changes due to evaporation. As a result, the test may start to display a positive line. After the allotted time has passed, you should discard the pregnancy test to avoid confusion.
What Do Faint Pregnancy Test Lines Mean?
If you follow all of the instructions correctly, you may notice a thin, faint test line that appears within a few minutes. It can seem at first that the line is too faint to count, but after 10 minutes, it darkens. There are several possible explanations for this line:
- Chemical pregnancy: When implantation of a fertilized egg happens, hCG is produced, even though that egg may not be viable. Chemical pregnancies are the most common cause of early miscarriage. Without taking a pregnancy test, the miscarriage may easily be mistaken for a regular period.
- Lower sensitivity test:You might need a test with higher sensitivity levels so that you can get accurate results earlier in the pregnancy. Look for "early results" indicated on the test label.
- Too early in your cycle: If you test earlier than 10 to 12 days past ovulation, the hCG hormone may not be high enough to produce more than a very faint line. The best time to test is after your period is late, or 2 weeks after you ovulated.
- Too much fluid: You can dilute your urine sample if you are urinating too frequently or drinking too many liquids—this is why first-morning urine samples are recommended for pregnancy testing.
False Negative Results
While true false negative results are rare, there are multiple reasons why you could get a negative or faint result even if you are actually pregnant, such as not waiting long enough into your cycle to test or testing with diluted urine. Always use a sample from your first-morning urine (which is more likely to have higher concentrations of the pregnancy hormone, hCG).
If you are still unsure about pregnancy test results, wait a few days and test again. If you have any questions or concerns about whether or not you could be pregnant, consult with an OB/GYN.
A Word From Verywell
It can very stressful to see conflicting results on a pregnancy test, such as faint lines or evaporation lines. If you're unsure about your results, retest in a couple of days or talk to your doctor about a follow-up blood test for confirmation. Following the directions on your pregnancy test helps avoid the confusion or disappointment of a false positive.
Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD,
MPH
Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH is a professor, author, childbirth and postpartum educator, certified doula, and lactation counselor.
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