The results of a home pregnancy test aren't always black or white (or clearly blue or pink!). If you see a faint line on a pregnancy test, especially if you took the test correctly, you're probably pregnant. But there are factors that can lead to unexpected readings, like a very, very faint line.
Key Takeaways
- A faint line on a pregnancy test likely means you’re pregnant, but it’s early. Your hormone levels may need time to rise for a clear result.
- Test in the morning (when pee is more concentrated) and check results within the recommended time to avoid confusion.
- If the result is unclear, wait a few days and try again. Or ask your healthcare provider for a blood test to confirm.
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What does a faint line on a pregnancy test look like?
A very faint line on a pregnancy test can be almost invisible, making the results tricky to decipher. A line that's supposed to be red when positive may tease you with light pink, for example, and a line that should be bright blue could look baby blue or even a little gray.
Before you nail down whether you're seeing a faint line, it's important to understand what a pregnancy test result looks like – it varies depending on the brand you use. Your results might be:
- A plus or minus sign
- One line or two lines (with two lines indicating pregnancy)
- A pink line
- A blue line
- The words "pregnant" or "not pregnant"
- The words "yes" or "no"
Read your test's instructions carefully; its packaging will tell you how to take the test and interpret your results. Most tests have a control line to confirm that you did everything correctly. If that control line doesn't show up, the test didn't work and you should take another one.
What does a faint line on a pregnancy test mean?
If you see a faint line on a pregnancy test, you're probably pregnant – and likely very early in your journey. Even the lightest positive on a test indicates that you have the pregnancy hormone human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) flowing through your system.
Your body starts producing hCG right after implantation, when a developing embryo attaches to the wall of your uterus. If you have a typical 28-day menstrual cycle, a home test can detect hCG in your urine 12 to 15 days after ovulation if you're pregnant.
Your hCG levels are very low at first and then rise quickly, usually doubling every two to three days in early pregnancy. That's why you might see a faint pregnancy test line at first and then a super-obvious result a few days later.
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Faint lines are usually seen when a test is done really early, when hCG levels are low.
- Shannon Smith, M.D., ob-gyn and BabyCenter Medical Advisor
Here are some other possible reasons for unclear results:
- You're testing too soon. Wait until the day of your missed period – or ideally a few days after that – to help prevent confusion. "Faint lines are usually seen when a test is done really early, when hCG levels are low," says Shannon Smith, M.D., an ob-gyn and member of the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board.
- Your urine is too diluted. Take your test first thing in the morning. This is when your pee is most concentrated, meaning the test has a better chance of picking up on hCG.
- You used an expired pregnancy test. These can be less sensitive and more likely to lead to a false negative.
- You didn't use the test correctly. No sweat, you're human! Here are some common mistakes to avoid for a more accurate result.
- You used a less-sensitive test. Some brands are more sensitive to low levels of hCG than others. Check the product's packaging and instructions to understand how early it can accurately detect a pregnancy.
- You have a case of "line eyes." Lots of BabyCenter Community members use this term to describe when they feel like their eyes are playing tricks on them.
Of course, if it's really too early, you may not even see a faint line. Instead, you might get a negative result because your hCG levels aren't yet high enough for the test to read. This can lead to a false negative test – in other words, a negative result when you're actually pregnant.
A faint positive vs. evaporation line
Here's where things get even more complicated: You might see an unclear result if you don't check your pregnancy test soon enough (usually within five to 10 minutes of peeing on the stick). That's because once it dries on the testing strip, urine may leave a faint line where it evaporated – called an evaporation line or "evap line." Unlike positive result lines, which are usually dark or bright, an evap line will be colorless, and may develop in a different spot than where you'd expect the positive line to appear.
Dr. Smith explains: "A faint pregnancy test line is a true reaction to the hCG in your urine, while an evaporation line isn't a reaction to any hormone. Generally the evaporation line will appear well after the five to 10 minutes of processing."
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To avoid getting an evaporation line, set a timer so you don't get distracted and forget to look at your test within the recommended time. Also, says Dr. Smith: "When the timer is up, toss the pregnancy test so there's no chance of accidentally peeking at it later and getting a confusing result."
What can cause a false positive pregnancy test?
This is pretty rare – pregnancy tests are accurate up to 99% of the time. That said, there are reasons why you might have hCG in your body and not be pregnant, leading to a false-positive result on your pregnancy test:
- A recent birth, miscarriage, or abortion. It can take weeks for hCG to completely leave your system after a pregnancy.
- An early-pregnancy loss. This might be from a chemical pregnancy or an ectopic pregnancy. A chemical pregnancy happens if the fertilized egg doesn't implant. An ectopic pregnancy means the fertilized egg implants someplace other than the uterus (usually in a fallopian tube). One or more faint lines on a pregnancy test, followed by a negative pregnancy test, can signal either of these conditions. If a faint line continues to appear, call your healthcare provider to figure out what's going on.
- Fertility drugs. Medications that are used in fertility treatment may contain traces of hCG that remain in your system for a week or more.
- Certain other medications. This can include antidepressants like SSRIs, some antipsychotic medications, anti-nausea drugs, and antihistamines. Rest assured, though, that most meds, including birth control pills, won't affect the accuracy of a pregnancy test. If you're taking a new medicine and aren't sure how it might affect your test results, check in with your prescribing doctor or pharmacist.
- Perimenopause or menopause. Higher levels of luteinizing hormone from perimenopause or menopause could possibly result in a false positive pregnancy test.
- Certain medical conditions. Rarely, an ovarian cyst or certain cancers can trigger a false positive.
What to do if you see a faint line on a pregnancy test
Your next move is simple: Wait a few days and take another home pregnancy test. By then, your hCG levels may rise enough to give you a clear result.
If you had a faint positive pregnancy test and then get a negative result (or your period), you might have experienced a chemical pregnancy or early miscarriage. Meaning, your body may have produced a little hCG but stopped when the embryo stopped developing.
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If you're not sure what's going on with your body, ask your healthcare provider for a blood pregnancy test, which is more sensitive than the urine tests you take at home. (The hormone hCG can be detected in your blood about 6 to 8 days after you ovulate, typically a few days to a week sooner than in your urine.) And if you're potentially dealing with an early pregnancy loss, your provider can help confirm that too – and offer support as you discuss your next steps.
