Evaporation line on pregnancy test

You want to see an easy-to-read result — but unfortunately, the reality of taking pregnancy tests is that the results can sometimes be challenging to interpret. Faint lines, evaporation lines, indent lines, and more can put a damper on your pregnancy testing experience.

Are you having a hard time telling if your test result is a faint positive or evaporation line? Kenosha Gleaton. Peeing on a stick affectionately known as POAS can bring a lot of emotions and sometimes confusion. Home pregnancy tests might be convenient, but they may also leave you with questions: Is it a false positive or negative? Why do I see faint lines? What could a faint line on a pregnancy test mean?

Evaporation line on pregnancy test

The last thing you need are unclear results. So what is an evaporation line on a pregnancy test? Dye-based home pregnancy tests work by detecting the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin hCG in your urine, says Kelli Burroughs , MD, a gynecologist in Houston. The first line is a control line, which displays regardless of whether you have a positive or negative result. The second line is a test line, and only pops up if you have detectable levels of hCG in your urine. This second line should be the same color as the control line, although it can range from very light to very dark depending on how much hCG there is in your body. An evaporation line is a faint line that appears in the results window of an at-home pregnancy test. It can look very similar to a positive pregnancy test , since it forms in the same place as the test line aka the second line that indicates a positive result. In short, an evaporation line is typically caused by user error. There are a few ways to determine whether that second line on your pregnancy test is an actual positive result or an evaporation line. Take a look at the color of the second line. A faint positive pregnancy test result will usually have the same thickness and overall appearance as the control line. But an evaporation line may be thicker or more blurry, thinner or nearly undetectable, or it may even show up as an incomplete line. Tetrokalashvili shares a few additional tips you can follow in order to reduce the likelihood of getting an evaporation line on a pregnancy test:. Waiting at least a day after your missed period to test can help avoid getting a questionable result.

A lab checks these samples for a hormone evaporation line on pregnancy test body produces during a pregnancy, called human chorionic gonadotropin hCG. As the test dries and the urine evaporates, this caught ink is pulled to the surface and becomes darker. What not to do before taking a pregnancy test By Colleen de Bellefonds.

An evaporation line is a small streak where the positive line should be on a pregnancy test. It only appears on tests that show negative results, meaning it does not indicate pregnancy. Taking a pregnancy test can be a nerve-racking experience, especially when it is difficult to understand what the lines on the test mean. An evaporation line does not indicate pregnancy. If this type of streak appears, it usually means that a person has read the results too late or has otherwise misused the test.

The last thing you need are unclear results. So what is an evaporation line on a pregnancy test? Dye-based home pregnancy tests work by detecting the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin hCG in your urine, says Kelli Burroughs , MD, a gynecologist in Houston. The first line is a control line, which displays regardless of whether you have a positive or negative result. The second line is a test line, and only pops up if you have detectable levels of hCG in your urine. This second line should be the same color as the control line, although it can range from very light to very dark depending on how much hCG there is in your body. An evaporation line is a faint line that appears in the results window of an at-home pregnancy test.

Evaporation line on pregnancy test

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind. The second line may be an evaporation line. This line can appear in the results window of a pregnancy test as the urine dries.

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False-positive results are typically faint in color or colorless, and they can be difficult to interpret. False-positive results can be caused by a number of reasons including testing too soon, waiting too long to read your results, and certain medical complications. The test result then appears after this three to five-minute window. Table of Contents. The most common causes of false-negative results include taking the test too early in your cycle or taking the test with too much liquid in your system. Mid-stream tests: These are held in the stream of urine for a few seconds and then set aside for a few minutes to wait for the results. Check out our full editorial process to learn more. You may already know when to take a pregnancy test and how to avoid a false negative pregnancy test. Make sure to find a home pregnancy test that uses pink dye. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. Share this article Facebook Pinterest Linkedin Twitter. There are two ways to tell the difference between a positive result and an evaporation line:. Other times, it may indicate a false-positive result. Medically reviewed by Carolyn Kay, M. Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Is it a faint positive — or an evaporation line? Here's what each signifies on a pregnancy test, and how to tell the difference.

Should you go digital? In other words, people might see evaporation lines if they read a pregnancy test too late. And if you wait long enough, both lines may indeed show up— but that doesn't necessarily mean you're pregnant. Here are the mental and physical effects of teenage pregnancy. Period Pregnancy Test. BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. But even a faint positive line has color, and this distinguishes it from an evaporation line, which is colorless. Or, you can make an appointment with your doctor or at a local health clinic for a blood pregnancy test. Differences in Results. Colleen de Bellefonds is a freelance health and lifestyle journalist.