How far along does a pregnancy test stop working?

Are you worried about the reliability of your pregnancy test? Maybe you’ve been holding on to that positive reading for way too long, thinking it will never expire. Or maybe you’re just plain curious whether or not these tests actually have an expiration date. Fear not! We have all the information you need (and more!) on when and why pregnancy tests stop working.

The Basics

Before we dive into what makes a pregnancy test lose its accuracy, let’s briefly go over how they work in the first place. A home pregnancy test detects human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), which is produced by placenta shortly after the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine lining.

Most over-the-counter (OTC)pregnancy tests are designed to detect a certain concentration of hCG in urine, usually around 25 mIU/mL – this concentration doubles every two to three days during early pregnancy. When using OTC kits, women should follow manufacturer’s instructions carefully including waiting until their first missed period before testing for maximum accuracy

It goes without saying that early detection results may vary from person-to-person depending on factors such as their weight & BMI; furthermore concerning themselves with predicting ovulation and maintaining healthy diets undeniably plays part also.

When Do They Expire?

Yes, even those magical little sticks do eventually spoil — but only if they’re used beyond their shelf-life period. Most at-home pregnancy tests recommend being used within two years of production / manufacturing date although some may tend or stray away from this limit i.e 1 year etc – so please read instruction well prior usage!

That being said, while an expired hCG cassette might still display faint pink lines indicating potentially positive result “this doesn’t mean necessarily ‘you’re’ carrying” says Sarah Silverman MD obstetrician/gynecologist practicing out of Greater Philadelphia area. “It’s better to have doubt in this situation and try a newer one ensuring possibility of accurate result than hold onto something that could potentially cause harm through resulting false claims”.

Another important note is the storage process; ideally these should be kept in dry areas with normal temperatures (perfect opportunities for old boxes lying around) & always keep the sealed container shut, humidity speed up expirations

Other Reasons it May Not Work

Of course, we wouldn’t do you justice if we solely blamed expirations as far as test reliability issues go! Keep reading to find out some other reasons your pregnancy test may not work.

Medications That Affect hCG Levels

Medicinal influences on hormone levels shouldn’t come by surprise. There exist prescribed medications which help individuals get pregnant however post ovulation weeks can present trouble determining when fertilisation has taken place accurately influencing results from predicting conception coming more difficult

Further meanwhile certain other medication e.g fertility enhancement drugs such as clomiphene citrate or hormonal treatments like progesterone -these also affect hCG– , anti-seizure medicine carbamazepine or antidepressant fluoxetine notably been recognised for limiting capability conception attempts.

Beginning medicines without consulting practitioner first is strictly advised against

Drinking Too Much Water

OK now… let’s clearly differentiate “best practices” here for drinking water recommendations–like drink plenty so your organs function optimally–from consuming excess volumes due simply out of anxiety waiting time-frame after having unprotected intercourse If an individual drinks excessive amounts of liquid before testing,it will dilute her urine, making her hCG concentration lower than what OTC kit might actually capture.. Essentially heeding instructions and maintaining composure proves pivotal comes all testing times

Not Following Directions Properly

Electing not following manufacturer’s instruction practically means pointlessly practicing / carrying redundant testing efforts congruent failure rate.. Endwords.

Ectopic Pregnancy

In certain cases,it’s not that test ‘doesn’t work’; you might just be testing for the wrong thing altogether. In a rare condition called an ectopic pregnancy, fertilized egg attaches and begins developing outside of uterus – most commonly in one of the fallopian tubes.”Ectopic pregnancies” says Dr Yarbro Obstetrician/Gynecologist practicing in Little Rock Arkansas “often present negative results on home-tests as concentration levels HCG hormones don’t actually reflect a positive result…

Bottom Line

Don’t worry too much about your at-home pregnancy test from stop-working , but do ensure using them within their recommended time-frame for best likelihoods! If you think there’s something else going on with your body (& yes anxiety is up there!) please consult physician soonest rather than over-stressing oneself.

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