What Does Two Lines On A Pregnancy Test Mean

How does an at-home pregnancy test work?

Before visiting a doctor, a pregnancy test performed at home is an easy way to determine whether you are pregnant. A urine or blood sample may be requested when you make an appointment with your doctor to confirm pregnancy.

These samples are examined in a lab for the hormone known as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which the body produces during pregnancy.

As soon as a fertilized egg implants in the uterus, this hormone is released into the bloodstream. Early in pregnancy, a small amount of hCG is produced by the body. The level increases as a pregnancy progresses. At-home pregnancy tests are designed to detect this hormone.

An at-home pregnancy test typically entails urinating on a test stick and checking the results a short while later. One line (the control line) on your pregnancy test usually indicates that you are not pregnant.

When the control line and the test line are visible in your test results, this may mean you are pregnant. Always check the test instructions for an evaporation line.

How Does a Pregnancy Test Work?

To give you a quick overview, at-home pregnancy tests look for the hormone Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, or hCG, in your urine. After fertilization, hCG levels quickly rise in your body. If hCG is found, the lines on a pregnancy test take on color.

An at-home First Response™ pregnancy test works like this:

Special reagents are deposited at 2 locations on a pregnancy test strip, forming the “control line” and the “test line.”

These test reagents may appear as off-white/slightly gray lines on the test strip – before or after use. In a First Response™ pregnancy test, these reagents are gold nanoparticles, which appear pink in color. They are responsible for turning the lines pink once the test is used.

If no hCG is detected in your urine, only the control line will appear pink colored. If hCG is present in the urine, both the test line and control line will appear pink. Two pink lines indicate a positive result, even if one line is fainter than the other.

You can test up to 6 days earlier with some tests, such as First ResponseTM Early Result Pregnancy Tests, because they are highly sensitive and can identify lower levels of hCG. *.

What is a Control Line on a Pregnancy Test?

You can tell the test is running properly by looking at the control line. The two lines on every analog pregnancy test are either parallel to each other or form a plus sign. The control line is not a positive result.

When exposed to urine, if a control line does not appear, the test is not operating correctly. Use a different pregnancy test and throw away the first one.

Pregnancy Test: Positive vs Negative Results Time Lapse