Welcome to EmpowHER. Thank you for asking such an interesting question.
Normally, hCG is a hormone that is only produced during pregnancy. A qualitative hCG test detects if hCG is present in the blood. A quantitative hCG test or beta hCG, which you had, measures the amount of hCG actually present in the blood.
An hCG level of less than 5mIU/ml is considered negative for pregnancy, and anything above 25mIU/ml is considered positive for pregnancy.
A low hCG level reported on both tests and getting your period confirmed that you are not pregnant.
hCG tests are capable of detecting very low concentrations of the hormone. There are three reasons for a positive hCG test in the absence of pregnancy.
1) Biochemical pregnancy. A biochemical pregnancy occurs when a woman becomes pregnant yet has a spontaneous loss of the fetus before she even knew she was pregnant. If hCG testing occurs before all of the hCG has been metabolized out of the body then hCG can be detected by a lab test. This situation is not uncommon.
2) Pituitary hCG. Although the placenta normally produces hCG during pregnancy, it can be made by the pituitary gland. Non-pregnant women with pituitary hCG usually have low concentrations of hCG present in the blood and urine. Importantly, concentrations of hCG produced by the pituitary gland don’t show the rapid increases that occur during pregnancy.
3) Interfering antibodies. Some women have antibodies in their blood that can interfere with hCG tests and cause a positive or elevated result in the absence of hCG.
Anonymous, please consider taking with your gynecologist or the healthcare provider who did the blood tests.
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Hello Anonymous,
Welcome to EmpowHER. Thank you for asking such an interesting question.
Normally, hCG is a hormone that is only produced during pregnancy. A qualitative hCG test detects if hCG is present in the blood. A quantitative hCG test or beta hCG, which you had, measures the amount of hCG actually present in the blood.
An hCG level of less than 5mIU/ml is considered negative for pregnancy, and anything above 25mIU/ml is considered positive for pregnancy.
A low hCG level reported on both tests and getting your period confirmed that you are not pregnant.
hCG tests are capable of detecting very low concentrations of the hormone. There are three reasons for a positive hCG test in the absence of pregnancy.
1) Biochemical pregnancy. A biochemical pregnancy occurs when a woman becomes pregnant yet has a spontaneous loss of the fetus before she even knew she was pregnant. If hCG testing occurs before all of the hCG has been metabolized out of the body then hCG can be detected by a lab test. This situation is not uncommon.
2) Pituitary hCG. Although the placenta normally produces hCG during pregnancy, it can be made by the pituitary gland. Non-pregnant women with pituitary hCG usually have low concentrations of hCG present in the blood and urine. Importantly, concentrations of hCG produced by the pituitary gland don’t show the rapid increases that occur during pregnancy.
3) Interfering antibodies. Some women have antibodies in their blood that can interfere with hCG tests and cause a positive or elevated result in the absence of hCG.
Anonymous, please consider taking with your gynecologist or the healthcare provider who did the blood tests.
Regards,
September 23, 2015 - 8:42amMaryann
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