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Faint positive - what does this mean?

Does a faint positive line on a pregnancy test mean you're expecting? - We share advice on interpreting this confusing result.


Discuss faint positive - what does this mean? on our forums, right now! Or, post a comment below.

Home pregnancy tests should be so straight forward; you simply pee on a stick and wait a couple of minutes to find out what you'll be doing in nine months time. Unfortunately, test results aren't always this clear cut and can leave you feeling really confused - what happens if you get a faint positive?

Is a faint line a positive?

Home pregnancy tests work by detecting levels of the pregnancy hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotrophin) in your urine. This is only produced once a fertilised egg implants in your uterus (something that occurs between 6 - 10 days after ovulation) so assuming you have tested correctly you can take a faint positive symbol to mean you're pregnant.

As levels of hCG double almost daily throughout the early stages of pregnancy the longer you wait to test the more clear and accurate the results will be. If you get a really faint test result it can be best to wait for a couple of days and then re-test; if you are pregnant a clearer line will show.

What causes faint positives?

Mis-testing

When you take a home pregnancy test it's really important that you read the instructions carefully and follow them exactly or you may compromise the reliability of the results. If you get a faint result on both lines or symbols of the pregnancy test it may be that there was insufficient urine exposure to produce a clear result, re-testing will help to resolve this issue.

Testing too early

As hCG is only produced after implantation, if you test too early there may be insufficient levels of this hormone present in your urine to give a strong positive result. Even if you have been charting your menstrual cycle its possible that you ovulated later than expected so testing again in a couple of days time will help to confirm your pregnancy.

Test sensitivity

Home pregnancy tests differ in the levels of hCG they are able to detect; if you get a faint positive it may be that the test you are using isn't sensitive enough to give a more conclusive result. The sensitivity of your test will be detailed on the side of the box in 'mIU' with lower numbers signifying increased sensitivity; for example a 20mIU pregnancy test will be able to detect a positive result sooner than a 50mIU test. If you get a faint positive it can be worth re-testing with a more sensitive kit.

Urine dilution

hCG levels are at their most concentrated first thing in the morning so where possible it's best to test as soon as you get up. If you test later in the day, especially after you have been drinking lots of fluid, the hCG levels in your urine will be diluted and less easy for a home pregnancy test to detect. This may cause a faint positive result especially if you are in the very early stages of pregnancy.

Evaporation lines

For an accurate result most pregnancy tests need to be read within a specified amount of time, usually 5 - 10 minutes after urine exposure (but this will be detailed on the testing box). If you notice a very faint positive symbol developing after this 'reaction time' it is likely to be an evaporation line. Evaporation lines do not signify a positive result but instead develop as urine evaporates leaving a very faint mark where the 'pregnant' symbol should be. In this instance its best to take the test result as a negative however you may like to test again in a day or so in case you conceived later than expected.

Chemical pregnancy

If you experience a very faint positive followed by a negative when you test again a couple of days later if may be that you have experienced a chemical pregnancy. This is where the fertilised egg implants but does not develop any further causing a very early miscarriage before any other pregnancy symptoms are experienced and often even before a period is missed. Some women prefer to hold off testing until a little later so that they avoid the upset of knowing if this happens but of course that is down to personal choice.

Have you been confused by the results of a pregnancy test? Share your questions and frustrations with others in a similar situation on our AskBaby Forums.

Your Comments

We would love to hear your comments or views on this subject. If you would like to ask a question or start a discussion, please post a topic in our Trying to Conceive forum.
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Hi, We've been trying for 7 months, fell immediately but had very early MC. Decided to stop trying as getting married next year and waiting for period to go back on pill, but 5 days late!! Taken 2 tests, one 2 days ago and another today and got faint BFP on both tests! Feel kinda icky like period on it's way so not feeling very positive, has anyone else been in this situation and should I take the faint positive as a yes!?
added by 2point4 [Mon 1st Feb 2010 @ 09:18:07]
I tested 4 days before my period was due with a Early pregnancy test and got a faint positive, re-tested after Af was 1 day late with an Internet cheapy strip and the positive line was so strong....If you can be patient and wait til your missed period chances are your get a nice clear BFP!!!!
added by Beverley30 [Wed 27th Jan 2010 @ 09:31:18]
my period is 7 days late and i did 2 tests and got very faint positive lines,my breasts are feeling very heavy and they are tender im also going to the loo alot,could i be pregnant?.
added by mysticmicha [Mon 11th Jan 2010 @ 15:10:40]
i took some pregancy tests because im 5 days late and only one said positive the 3 others said negative am i pregant or not? please help
added by natpat [Mon 21st Dec 2009 @ 10:05:48]
Hi,
I had 3 blood tests which were negative before now but the pregnancy signs still continues. I then did a home test last month which had a faint line as the second one. I also perceived pulsations within me but have been feeling bloated about a day ago. Planning to go for another preg. test soonest as I seem to have noticeable signs of pregnancy now. Does every negative preg. test indicate absence of pregnancy? I think exceptional cases do exist.
added by wonder09 [Thu 17th Sep 2009 @ 09:17:15]
My last period started on 5th January so I was due on again around 2nd February, I took a pregnancy test on 6th February which showed a very faint line (as if positive) but because it was very faint I told my partner we would test again a week later. We waited till this morning (14th Feb) to do the test again, as we wanted to use the first urine of the day to get a better reading, but this showed a clear negative, I took another test a few hours later but again it was negative. I have had no signs of my period starting (no spotting, no pains, etc) so am I pregnant or not? If this was an early miscarriage, when would I start to bleed?
added by LuckyStars37 [Tue 17th Feb 2009 @ 09:51:48]
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