Remove the test stick from the wrapper and take off the cap. Place the absorbent tip in your urine stream for 5 seconds. Or, if you prefer, dip into a urine sample collected in a clean, dry container for 5 or 20 seconds, depending on the test you're using.
Point the absorbent tip (with 5 small openings) directly into the urine stream. Take the sample for at least 7-10 seconds, to ensure that an adequate sample is collected by the testing device. (Another technique is to collect the urine into a clean container and dip half of the absorbent pad for at least 10 seconds.)
Five seconds feels a bit longer when aiming your pee, but pulling the stick away too quickly or not leaving it in your urine stream long enough can affect the validity of the result. If you choose to dip, use a clean, dry container stable enough to hold the test and urine without tipping.
If you take the test and accidentally leave it sitting without reading the results, you can experience what looks like a positive result. In reality, it's likely what's called an evaporation line, a faint line that can occur when the test sits too long.
With HCG test strips, you'll want to pee in a cup and dip the test strip in the cup to get an accurate result. If you try to pee directly on the strip, the results may be blurry or invalid.
An evaporation line (or evap line) typically appears like a faded streak, while a faint positive test result looks like a lighter blue or pink line, depending on the test dye color. This article provides an overview of home pregnancy test results.
Evaporation lines are colorless streaks, not faint lines. They typically appear if a person waits for longer than the suggested time to read the test result. An evaporation line can also appear if the test gets wet.
Is it possible to be pregnant and get a negative pregnancy test result? Yes, it is possible. Getting a negative result doesn't mean you're not pregnant, it may just mean your hCG levels are not high enough for the test to detect the hormone in your urine.
A 'Pregnant' result may appear in as fast as 1 minute when testing from the day you miss your period (which is the day after your expected period). Make sure a blue line is also present in the control window before reading your result. You must wait 3 minutes to confirm a 'Not Pregnant' result.
A “Pregnant” result may appear as fast as 1 minute when testing from the day of your missed period. You should wait 3 minutes to confirm a “Not Pregnant” result, or when testing before you have missed your period.
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, always remember that a pregnancy test result is only accurate within 10 minutes.
For your convenience, all Clearblue® tests can be used either 'in-stream' simply by holding the tip directly in the urine stream for 5 seconds; or by dipping the test into a collected urine sample for between 5 - 20 seconds, depending on the product used.
It is recommended that you leave the pregnancy test laid flat on a clean surface, with the result window facing upwards.
HCG is at its highest level in the morning when urine is fresh and not diluted by the liquid you drink during the day. If you test in the afternoon, your urine may not have enough HCG to detect.
An evaporation line is also often thinner than the control line. In the image above, you can see that the horizontal line is one thickness, while the vertical evaporation line is much thinner and of uneven thickness.
2 The evaporation line does not show up until after the pregnancy test reading window of time to accurately get your results. So you will not need to worry about an evaporation line if you read the pregnancy test within the time frame specified in the instructions that came with your test.
It's possible that what you think is a positive test result might actually be a faint evaporation line, or 'evap' line. An evaporation line is a faint line that appears after a pregnancy test with a negative result has dried. Tests that show two line results have what are known as 'indent' lines where the ink pools.
What causes faint positive lines on a pregnancy test? The strength of the positive test line depends on how much hCG is in your urine. If the line is faint, it usually means that the hCG level is low. One reason why hCG levels may be low could be because you're still very early into your pregnancy.
Unfortunately, evaporation lines will not disappear, even when you try to remove them with water. If you are not confident with the pregnancy test result, it's highly recommended that you take another test, taking care to follow the instructions properly, to avoid a false positive pregnancy test result.
Your body starts producing hCG right after implantation. If you have a typical 28-day menstrual cycle, hCG may be detectable in your urine 12 to 15 days after ovulation if you're pregnant.
False results — either a false negative or a false positive — mainly happen due to using the test incorrectly. The main reason for a false-negative is testing too early. You might also get a false-negative if you use a home test incorrectly, such as using too much or too little pee.
Shaking the pregnancy test is not helpful. It will not help the urine to absorb into the test strip and the shaking motion may actually shake the urine out of the test causing a false negative result.