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OPKs and HPTs

An OPK can pick up both LH or hCG, but most OPKs are not as sensitive as an early detection pregnancy test.

Extra-Sensitive OPKs read positive at 20 mIU/ml and a lot of standard HPTs pick up at 25 mIU/ml, so it could be a possible to test positive on one and not the other depending on the sensitivity of each.

Supposedly FRER is the best test on the market for testing low levels of hCG. The First Response Early Result test has a sensitivity level of 6.3 miU/ml. An hCG level of less than 5mIU/ml is considered negative for pregnancy, and anything above 25mIU/ml (what most HPT can read) is considered positive for pregnancy.

At the lower limit hCG levels can be 5mIU/ml at 4 weeks and 18mIU/ml at 5 weeks. So FRER would be one of the only tests that would be able to give you a positive result until week 6 if your levels are in the low range. Therefore, theoretically you could get a false negative if you tested too early say week 4.

The flip side of the more sensitive test is that earlier detection will delivery positive results for a chemical pregnancy and early miscarriage.

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