How accurate is a pregnancy test in determining pregnancy?

Doctor's Answers 1

For a young lady with a history of irregular menses, we will always consider polycystic ovaries as a possible cause.

Other possible causes include severe stress, hormonal disorders such as thyroid problems, prolactin producing tumours (prolactin is a hormone necessary for production of breast milk), sudden weight fluctuations, vigorous intensity of exercise, or even a deficient production of the female hormones.

Of course, in someone who is sexually active, it is important to exclude pregnancy. The urine pregnancy tests kits are quite sensitive and hence the result is reliable enough. However, if sex has occurred over a period of time, then sometimes it is necessary to repeat the pregnancy test due to a possibility of late ovulation.

A clinical examination and ultrasound scan would be important to exclude local genital tract causes such as polyps for the reason of the bleeding/spotting.

Hope this helps.

Dr Fong Yoke Fai

Similar Questions

Does irregular menses affect the chances of getting pregnant?

Regular menstruation is an indicator of regular ovulation. This is the release of the egg for fertilisation. If this happens once every 6 months you can imagine what your chances of getting pregnant are. Once every 6 months as opposed to every month. So yes, having irregular menses does adversely affect your chances of getting pregnant.

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Answered By

Dr Paul Tseng

Gynaecologist

Could I still be pregnant despite a negative pregnancy test if I’m experiencing brown discharge?

If you suspect there is a high chance of pregnancy, I would suggest repeating the urine pregnancy test in a week’s time. If it still negative then it is unlikely you are pregnant. Irregular bleeding like what you describe is not uncommon in PCOS even in the absence of pregnancy. I would recommend using contraception if you are sexually active. In addition to preventing pregnancy, contraception like the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) will make your periods regular and light, and prevent endometrial hyperplasia (build up of womb lining) which is very common in PCOS.

Photo of Dr Jasmine Mohd

Answered By

Dr Jasmine Mohd

Gynaecologist

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