Late period sore breasts negative pregnancy test

February 13, 2020

Table of Contents Show

False-Negative Pregnancy Tests
1. You Are Not Pregnant
2. You Tested Too Early
3. You Had an Early Miscarriage
4. The Test Was Wrong
A Word From Verywell
Why do I have period symptoms but no period and negative pregnancy test?
Can I still be pregnant if the test is negative and no period?
Why do I have pregnancy symptoms but a negative test?
Can you miss a period and still have sore breasts?

False-Negative Pregnancy Tests

At Your Options Medical, we have found that when many of our patients have a negative pregnancy test result, they assume they are not pregnant. However, this is not always the case. False negative pregnancy tests do occur. Here is how it works:

A urine pregnancy test detects the hormone called hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin). This is the hormone your body produces during pregnancy. When urine is being tested for the presence of this hCG hormone and a woman is pregnant, the result of the pregnancy test should read positive. However, there are a few reasons a pregnancy test can give a false test result including the following:

In early pregnancy, the hCG hormone levels may be too low for a pregnancy test to detect. The earliest time to test for an accurate result is 7-10 days after a missed period.
The best time of day to take a pregnancy test is first thing in the morning when a woman’s urine is highly concentrated. Because urine may be less concentrated later in the day, the test may not be able to detect the hCG hormone.
If you have had a negative pregnancy test, but are experiencing pregnancy-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, tiredness, loss of appetite, etc. it is always best to contact your doctor to access for causes unrelated to pregnancy.
There is always the possibility of human error when performing home pregnancy tests. It is important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Most pregnancy tests require you to let the test set for 3-5 minutes. If the test is left beyond the recommended set time, this could produce a false test result.
If you had a tubal ligation (i.e. tubes tied), are experiencing pregnancy-like symptoms, and test negative on a pregnancy test, contact your medical doctor to assess for causes unrelated to pregnancy.

If you think you might be pregnant because you have missed your period, know that there are other reasons besides pregnancy. To learn more, check out our blog.

Contact Us

If you think you might be pregnant, Your Options Medical can offer you pregnancy testing, ultrasound, and pregnancy options counseling at no cost to you and insurance is not required.

If you get a negative pregnancy test but still feel pregnant, you're likely to feel a bit confused. Your first instinct may be to question whether the test may have somehow gotten it wrong, especially if you feel you have pregnancy symptoms. And in truth, false negatives do sometimes happen, although they are rare. A negative pregnancy test indicates one of four outcomes.

1. You Are Not Pregnant

The most obvious answer may also be the most disappointing. If you feel pregnant—with symptoms such as breast soreness and unexplained nausea—it's understandable that you may have assumed you were pregnant. But, there may be other explanations for these symptoms. Some may be incidental or premenstrual; others may, in fact, require medical attention.

If you are suddenly experiencing abnormal periods accompanied by other symptoms, such as cramping or constipation, it’s a good idea to see a doctor and have it checked out.

2. You Tested Too Early

While modern home pregnancy tests have a high level of accuracy, their sensitivity can vary in the early stage of pregnancy. Pregnancy tests are designed to detect the presence of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This is the hormone produced soon after the fertilized egg implants in the uterus. While the body starts to produce hCG soon after implantation, it usually takes around two to three weeks for levels to be high enough for accurate detection.

If you test too early, you may, be pregnant, but the test is simply not sensitive enough to pick up any signs of hCG.

If you are convinced you are pregnant and have simply tested too early, take a step back and retest in a week. Levels of hCG tend to double every two days, so the longer you wait, the more likely you'll receive an accurate—and hopefully positive—result.

3. You Had an Early Miscarriage

If you feel pregnant but had a negative test result, you may have experienced a very early miscarriage (also known as a chemical pregnancy). This occurs when there is a problem with the fertilized egg, most commonly a chromosomal disorder that makes the pregnancy non-viable. When the body detects this, it will spontaneously abort the fetus, often times before a person even knows that they are pregnant. Up until this point, however, symptoms of pregnancy may develop as hormones are steadily released into the system.

While an early miscarriage can occur in anywhere from 10% to 20% of known pregnancies, overall rates could very well be in excess of 50%. Miscarriages tend to be a one-off event; most people are able to achieve and maintain a healthy pregnancy in later attempts.

4. The Test Was Wrong

A bum test is the most unlikely cause of a false negative result, but it does happen. However, in almost all cases, some level of human error is involved. Beyond taking the test prematurely, there are other possible causes for a false negative result:

Diluting your urine by drinking too much water before taking a test
Not leaving the dipstick in the urine stream for the recommended time
Using a test that has been exposed to excessive heat or sunlight
Using an expired test

Lastly: sometimes twin or higher order multiple pregnancies, in which levels of hCG are very high, can cause a false negative pregnancy test. This is called the high-dose hook effect. It's unusual, but possible. if you miss a period and have pregnancy symptoms, see your doctor.

A Word From Verywell

Whatever the results of your pregnancy test, you can get confirmation from your health care provider if you're not entirely sure the test was accurate. However, in most cases, know that home pregnancy tests are highly reliable. So, while this may not be the news you want to hear, if it says you're not pregnant, you likely are not.

Still, in some situations, pregnancy tests do give false negative results, so it is possible to be pregnant even if the test says you're not. Your doctor—or testing again in a few days—can tell you for sure. If you're not pregnant but want to be, and have been trying for a year (or six months if you're 35 or older) without success, contact your doctor to discuss your fertility treatment options.

Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Cleveland Clinic. Pregnancy Tests: How They Work, Types & Accuracy. Last Reviewed January 26, 2021.
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists. Early Pregnancy Loss. Last Reviewed February 2020.
Cohain JS, Buxbaum RE, Mankuta D. Spontaneous first trimester miscarriage rates per woman among parous women with 1 or more pregnancies of 24 weeks or more. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2017;17(1):437. doi:10.1186/s12884-017-1620-1
Namburi R, Ponnala A, Kancherla V. High-dose hook effect. J NTR Univ Health Sci. 2014;3(1):5. doi:10.4103/2277-8632.128412

Additional Reading

Gnoth C, Johnson S. Strips of hope: Accuracy of home pregnancy tests and new developments. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 2014;74(7):661-669. doi:10.1055/s-0034-1368589

By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH
Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH is a professor, author, childbirth and postpartum educator, certified doula, and lactation counselor.

Thanks for your feedback!

Why do I have period symptoms but no period and negative pregnancy test?

The most common reason for a late period and a negative pregnancy test is that your period is simply delayed and you're not pregnant. Having one or two irregular cycles a year is not unusual and does not mean there is something wrong. Reasons your period might be late include: Breastfeeding.

Can I still be pregnant if the test is negative and no period?

could i still be pregnant? If you take a pregnancy test after your period is late and get a negative result, you're unlikely to be pregnant. Home pregnancy tests are very accurate — about 99 percent — but a false negative is still possible. Try taking another pregnancy test in a day or two to double check.

Why do I have pregnancy symptoms but a negative test?

Can you miss a period and still have sore breasts?

Your breasts feel different Breasts that are tender, sore, or swollen can be a sign of an impending period. But these same symptoms can also indicate that you're pregnant. Hormonal changes during early pregnancy can cause breasts to feel sensitive or sore. They can also feel heavier or more full.

late period sore breasts negative pregnancy test