Can a UTI affect a pregnancy test?
A common question among pregnant ladies when worried about infections and pregnancy.
If you suspect that you are pregnant, you may be quite anxious to confirm it once and for all.
While getting tested at a hospital or clinic is the best option, you can also get a home pregnancy test.
These are usually reliable and give accurate results within minutes.
However, you may end up getting the wrong result if you have a UTI.
A urinary tract infection can develop in any part of a person’s urinary system. This is especially critical for women because of their shorter urethra, allowing the bacteria to spread to the bladder easily.
So how can a UTI affect a pregnancy test? Here’s everything you need to know about UTI’s and pregnancy.
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Can A UTI Affect A Pregnancy Test
Taking a home pregnancy test is a pretty simple process if you know what to do.
They work by detecting the levels of HCG in the urine.
While it is usually pretty low in the body, this hormone is generally on a much higher level when you’re pregnant.
HCG production starts on a bigger scale when the egg implants in the uterus and is detectable by a pregnancy test.
It is also most concentrated in urine in the morning, so this is the best time to take a pregnancy test.
If you have a UTI, you may be worried that it may affect the pregnancy test results.
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A urinary tract infection affects all the body areas through which urine passes and can be quite stressful.
UTIs are also quite common for pregnant women due to all their bodies’ changes.
For the most part, UTIs don’t affect pregnancy tests in any way.
However, there are various instances where a urinary tract infection can change pregnancy test results. These are:
- If you’re taking antibiotics and other medications to treat your UTI, which changes your urine composition. When your UTI is severe, chemicals from the medicine might be so strong that they dilute your urine, which can make the HCG hormone undetectable.
- Your UTI may be causing you to pee uncontrollably. This means that you are likely to dilute the sample needed for the test to determine whether you’re pregnant or not. You can go around this by peeing into a cup first and inserting the pregnancy test in there for the recommended time.
- You may be thinking of attempting to flush out the UTI by drinking lots of water and other fluids. This can also dilute your urine and affect the pregnancy test’s ability to detect any HCG in your body.
A urinary tract infection can be a huge deal when you’re pregnant.
You should seek treatment as soon as you have a diagnosis.
When left untreated, a UTI can have adverse long term effects on you and your baby.
It can spread to other organs, such as your kidneys, and make it very difficult to treat.
It can also cause numerous developmental problems for your baby, including genetic mutations.
In addition, it also puts you at risk of getting an early miscarriage and other pregnancy complications.
Ensure that you see your doctor immediately you suspect that you may have a urinary tract infection while pregnant.
They will prescribe some pregnancy-safe antibiotics which should clear it all up within a few weeks.
When performing a pregnancy test, the answer matters a lot.
Just a few minutes of waiting for the results can have you full of anxiety.
Home pregnancy tests are great, but they can also give false results due to being affected by something else.
So if you’re wondering can a UTI affect a pregnancy test, having the right information and knowing what to do will help you to get the correct results.
Iesha is a loving mother of 2 beautiful children. She’s an active parent who enjoys indoor and outdoor adventures with her family. Her mission is to share practical and realistic parenting advice to help the parenting community becoming stronger.
