Does an ectopic pregnancy show up on a pregnancy test?
My test came positive but i have some one sided pain and i got scared reading about ectopic online. So does the test even show positive if its ectopic? planning to call my gynac but wanted to understand a bit first.
Yes it does, because the test only detects the pregnancy hormone hCG and that's still produced in ectopic. My doctor explained the test cant tell you WHERE the pregnancy is, only that you're pregnant. The location is confirmed by ultrasound and blood hCG levels, so a positive test doesnt rule it out.
Please be careful with this one. A home test will show positive even in ectopic, so you cant rely on it to know. I had an ectopic and it was the ultrasound plus my sharp one sided pain that flagged it. If you have positive test with pain or spotting, go to the doctor soon, dont wait.
Short answer yes, it shows positive. The hormone that the strip catches is present in any pregnancy, ectopic included. The way they actually catch ectopic is through ultrasound and watching the hCG numbers in blood over a couple days. So treat the home test as step one only and follow up with a scan.
I was confused about this too. So if I'm understanding right, a positive test alone cant tell if its ectopic, only the scan can? I had my first scan around 6-7 weeks and that's when they checked the location.
Yes the test still comes positive dear, the hormone is there regardless. So the test isnt the way to find out. The right step is an early scan with your gynac to confirm everything is in the right place. Dont panic, just get it checked properly.
