Community post

Qualitative blood tests usually state negative when HCG is below 5, indeterminate when HCG is between 5 and 25, and positive when over 25. So if the test result was actually "negative" then it is more than likely a false positive on the HPT. However, sometimes providers say it is negative when the result is actually "indeterminate," which happened to me in the past!

I thought all hope was lost, because they said it was negative at my appointment, but the next day when I logged on the patient portal and saw my actual results, I learned the truth. I was fortunate that I also had a quantitative blood test at the same time, so I could see my HCG was 24.

A quantitative blood test is definitely more helpful when you're having faint lines on a HPTs, since it will give the exact quantity of HCG present. Did you have this done?

It is possible that your HCG is just really low, if you're using an extremely sensitive HPT. Therefore, it isn't high enough to trigger a "positive" on the blood yet... usually if it is that sweet spot of 5-25 HCG.

There are those rare situations that you hear about where blood tests have false negatives... I'm not sure how common that actually is though.

Ask for a quantitative test. Like LadyMae said, qualitative is negative below 25. My quantitative test showed an hcg of 6 at 8 dpo and luckily called that positive (it was- baby born this March)

Thank you all!

My quant was: < 1 mlU/mL
I go back today for another draw...any chance you guys think maybe I'm just REALLY early? We bd Oct. 4th and 9th. The HPTs I used were Walmart (First Signal) cheapies, and CVS Early Detection Tests - all which showed a faint line within the time frame, a slightly darker one on Monday evening.

If you ovulated even as early as October 4, you’d be 10dpo at most so unfortunately I think those faint lines could be evaps or indents if your quantitative was less than 1. Do you know your O date? Short answer is I think it could just be too early for you to know. Earliest I even try testing is 8dpo since implantation typically doesn’t occur until 6dpo. As for the tests, I trust first signal if read in the timeframe but have gotten some mean evaps from CVS blue dye. Hang in there!! For cheapies, try Easy @home on amazon, also i’ve had good luck with dollar tree pink dye tests (positive same day as FRER).

Thank you all ?