As you’re sitting in a bathroom waiting for the lines on your pregnancy test to appear, it can be daunting.
You can be hopeful it’ll be a positive result, or perhaps you’re praying for the opposite – either way, a false positive isn’t something we really think will be on the cards.
But in the latest instalment of Netflix hit Emily in Paris, Camille (played by Camille Razat) experiences just that.
While previously in season 4 she discovered she was pregnant with Gabriel’s (Lucas Bravo) baby, casting doubt on his and Emily’s (Lily Collins) future together, Camille visits her doctor in the new episodes, only to learn that she was never actually pregnant.
The news comes after the champagne heiress has what she thinks is spotting and goes to her doctor with her concerns. It was then that the medical professional informed Camille that, while rare, false positives can happen.
The doctor also explained to Camille that, due to the medication she was taking, her hormones had contributed to the result she saw on the home test. That, combined with the recent stress she had encountered, had delayed her period.
According to obstetrician Claire Mellon, this a highly unlikely scenario, so if watching it has given you the fear, don’t panic; the likelihood is it’s not going to happen to you. It’s always better to be in the know though.
Taking a pregnancy test
Claire tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Generally supermarket tests are good, but don’t take one until your is period due or late, as this increases the likelihood of false positives.’
She recommends repeating tests in a day or two, adding that if you’re pregnant, ‘it should stay positive, becoming stronger very quickly.’
The desire to know can obviously be strong, but Claire advises waiting to do a test first thing in the morning when your urine is more concentrated.
‘The placenta makes the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). HCG can be found in blood and urine,’ she explains.
‘Home tests are now very sensitive and will pick up tiny amounts of this hormone and can lead to what we call false positives.’
Reasons for false positive pregnancy tests
The most common reason for a false positive pregnancy test is taking one after a recent miscarriage.
‘This is because there may be a little tissue left behind after the pregnancy,’ says Claire. ‘If it’s still there after two to three weeks post-miscarriage it is worth getting it followed up to exclude residual tissue or something called a molar pregnancy.’
There are two types of molar pregnancy, according to UK baby loss charity Tommy’s: a complete mole and a partial mole.
A complete mole happens when a single sperm fertilises an ‘empty’ egg which has none of the mother’s genetic material inside, so a foetus doesn’t develop. A partial mole happens when two sperm fertilise a normal egg. There are usually some early signs of a foetus, but this won’t develop into a baby.
Fertility treatment could also be a cause of a false positive test.
‘Practitioners sometimes use an injection to release the egg follicle,’ Claire explains. ‘This is actually a synthetic form of HCG, so it can give you a positive test before you are possibly pregnant.’
Although it’s a rarer occurrence, peri-menopause can result in a false positive too.
Claire says: ‘Peri-menopausal women will have a very tiny amount of HCG in their blood but this is not pregnancy, rather associated with signs of menopause.
‘It’s seen increasingly as older women try for pregnancy later in life and the home tests are so so sensitive, but this is sadly not a sustainable level and not a real pregnancy.’
Drugs affecting false positive pregnancy tests
Claire adds that certain types of drugs can cause false positive pregnancy tests, although this is incredibly rare. Though, as mentioned earlier, fertility drugs can sometimes have this impact.
While the Emily in Paris storyline might make it seem common, there is a strong likelihood it won’t happen to you.
‘If you’re taking HCG drugs, you should wait at least two weeks after taking them before getting tested,’ Claire advises.
Antidepressants could also cause this, as some drug screens may not be able to distinguish between sertraline (Zoloft) and benzodiazepines.
The same goes for second-generation antipsychotics and anti-nausea drugs, as well as anti-anxiety medications and drugs prescribed for Parkinson’s.
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