Why is the test positive after an abortion? Positive pregnancy test after abortion: what could it mean? I had a medical termination of pregnancy and the test was positive

As is known, in a woman’s body, all processes associated with maintaining a stable monthly cycle and fertilization are ensured by the interaction large quantity hormones: sex, pituitary, hypothalamic. During pregnancy, the relationship between these hormones changes.

At this time, in the ovarian tissue, the process of formation of the corpus luteum of pregnancy occurs, producing progesterone, which contributes to its preservation. The placenta also has the ability to synthesize hormones: it produces the so-called. placental lactogen, which ensures the vital activity of the placenta itself, prolactin and human chorionic gonadotropin (CG), which plays a role in the complex mechanisms of formation of the sex of the unborn child. The principle of operation of all tests for determining pregnancy is based on the interaction of the indicator substance with this hormone.

Very often, women do not understand why the test is positive after an abortion, because the embryo is no longer in the uterus - the pregnancy has already resolved. So, during an abortion, in one way or another, the fertilized egg and placenta are removed from the uterine cavity, and since the production of human chorionic gonadotropin directly depends on the function of the placenta, after its removal the amount of hormones in the blood and urine begins to decrease. However, it decreases quite slowly. That is why, in the first time after an abortion, the test shows pregnancy - the concentration of gonadotropin in the blood is still high, which determines the positive test result. Normally, human chorionic gonadotropin should cease to be detected in the blood plasma on the first day after an abortion. But sometimes this does not happen, and after an abortion the test is positive, despite the fact that several weeks have already passed. This situation can arise if at least a small piece of the fertilized egg remains in the uterine cavity. Sometimes a positive test is actually a false positive, because not all tests have the same sensitivity. The final result can be affected by: diet, taking medications containing hCG, for example, pregnyl, kidney disease, accompanied by the release of protein in the urine, which can distort the result of the reaction in one direction or another. That is why the test should be carried out several times at intervals of two to three days, and it is advisable to use test strips from different manufacturers.

Another reason that after an abortion the test shows pregnancy may be the ectopic localization of the fetus, due to which its development does not occur in the uterine cavity, but in the fallopian tube or directly in the ovary. Of course, using, for example, the vacuum aspiration method, removing the embryo from the tube is problematic. The membranes of the embryo remaining in the body will continue to produce hCG, which will give a positive result. Very rarely, the source of hCG secretion may be an ectopic pregnancy with the fetus localized in abdominal cavity. A similar picture is observed in some cases when abortion does not lead to the death of the fetus. The fertilized egg remains in the uterus, determining a positive test result. In this case, it will be true, because the woman is still pregnant. Obviously, a pregnancy test after medical abortion may be positive for the same reasons as after surgery. Medical abortion is performed by taking antiprogestogens - drugs that increase the contractions of the uterus while simultaneously relaxing the cervix. Unfortunately, with this method of abortion, it is much more likely that particles of the fertilized egg and its membranes will remain in the uterus. Despite the apparent simplicity of such an abortion, it is a serious intervention in a woman’s reproductive sphere and should only be performed under the supervision of a doctor in a specialized department. Otherwise, there is a high probability of complications. Uterine bleeding, inability to get pregnant a second time - all this is quite possible with uncontrolled use of antiprogestogens.

What should you do if after an abortion the test is positive and there is no menstruation, despite the fact that a lot of time has passed? Do not try to solve this problem yourself, because... its causes may be conditions that, without outside help impossible to cope with. For example, an ectopic tubal pregnancy is a dangerous pathology that can cause rupture of the fallopian tube. Only a doctor can make the necessary decision about the state of your health after a full examination. A pregnancy test after a medical abortion, as well as after any other, is a wonderful “assistant” for a woman, which will allow her to promptly suspect “problems” associated with the genitals and seek medical help without wasting time.


Some women, having undergone a medical or surgical abortion, try to verify the termination of pregnancy using a pharmacy test. At the same time, the results of the rapid test often frighten patients, because often a home test shows two colored stripes, which, according to the instructions, indicate pregnancy. We will try to find out in which case two lines on a pregnancy test after an abortion are the norm, and when you should immediately consult a doctor.

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Why does the test show two lines after an abortion?

The pregnancy test is based on the interaction of human chorionic gonadotropin found in the urine of a pregnant woman and a dye reagent applied to the test strip. Human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG is produced in the body in two cases - in a pregnant woman and during the formation of a malignant tumor. Therefore, a positive test after an abortion naturally frightens a woman.

When the egg and sperm merge, the process of cell division occurs, and after 7 days a real living organism is formed, covered with a membrane. The membrane cells begin to actively produce hCG. After implantation into the wall of the uterus, these cells turn into chorions - villi, through which metabolic processes are carried out between the fetus and the maternal body. HCG also supports the functioning of the corpus luteum, which produces progesterone in large quantities. Human chorionic gonadotropin reaches the concentration required to detect the hormone using a test strip by the end of the first week after conception.

Abortion does not abruptly stop the production of hCG. That is why in the first 1-2 days after termination of pregnancy, two lines on the test are not considered an anomaly. Within two days, the fertilized egg completely leaves the uterine cavity, so hCG ceases to be released. If a woman takes a pregnancy test at this time and continues to see a positive result, she should immediately consult a doctor, as this is most likely a sign of a pathological process.

The reasons why a pregnancy test shows two lines after an abortion may be as follows:

  • After a pharmacological abortion or vacuum aspiration, there is a high probability that particles of the fetal membrane have not completely come out and continue to be inside the uterus. If the patient does not consult a doctor in a timely manner, this can lead to inflammatory processes, the formation of tumors and other unpleasant consequences;
  • Exacerbation of renal failure due to abortion produces a high protein content in the urine, which also distorts the test results. Women suffering renal pathology should additionally visit a urologist;
  • Taking hormonal contraceptives that contain human chorionic gonadotropin can also cause a positive pregnancy test. If a patient is prescribed hormonal therapy after an abortion, the composition of the medications taken should be studied;
  • Ectopic (in the appendages) or ectopic (in the abdominal cavity) pregnancy may be accompanied by the release of a small amount of hCG. In this case, the test usually shows a dim, barely noticeable second stripe;
  • In rare cases, two stripes may indicate the continuation of pregnancy (this happens with vacuum aspiration and with medical abortion if the dosage of the drug was incorrectly calculated);
  • Long term pregnancy at the time of termination: the higher the term, the longer the hCG will have a high concentration;
  • Sometimes the content of hCG in the body occurs due to choriocarcinoma (pathological growth of the chorion and the introduction of its cells into neighboring organs, for example, the bladder, and mutations into cancer cells);
  • Uterine cancer also shows high concentrations of hCG in a non-pregnant woman. HCG is produced by the germ cells of any malignant tumor, so this hormone is considered a kind of tumor marker for detecting cancer.

conclusions

If a pregnancy test shows two lines after an abortion, you should wait 3-4 days and repeat the test. During this time, the remnants of the fertilized egg must be completely removed from the uterine cavity, which leads to a drop in the level of hCG in the blood and urine. If a repeat test also gives a positive result, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Equipped with the latest diagnostic equipment and cooperates with leading medical laboratories in the country. This allows us to quickly and accurately determine the real level of hCG in a woman’s blood and identify the true cause of the formation of the hormone after termination of pregnancy.

Abortion – artificial interruption pregnancy up to 20-22 weeks of gestation by surgery or medication. Pregnancy provokes a number of physiological changes in a woman’s body. Her healthy development is ensured by the interaction of glands that produce hypothalamic, pituitary, and sex hormones. Terminating a pregnancy by any means disrupts hormonal levels, which the body needs some time to restore. Why can tests be positive after an abortion? Is it necessary to carry out home test after an abortion? In what cases can a pregnancy test after an abortion be positive?

Why do tests after an abortion? How does a pregnancy test work?

Before understanding what pregnancy tests give results after an abortion procedure, it is necessary to determine what changes in a woman’s body occur during conception and the development of pregnancy, and what mechanisms for determining pregnancy are used in home tests.

A woman's menstrual cycle is regulated by a certain ratio of the levels of various hormones in the body. Hormones contribute to the maturation of the egg, ovulation, and the growth of the corpus luteum, which produces progesterone, a hormone necessary for normal development pregnancy. With successful conception, implantation and development of the fertilized egg, the placenta is formed from its embryonic membranes, establishing a close connection between the developing fetus and the uterine mucosa, as well as providing nutrition and breathing to the fetus. The placenta also produces certain hormones, which include human chorionic gonadotropin, placental lactogen, prolactin, progesterone, estrogens and other hormones in smaller quantities.

Human chorionic gonadotropin is a gonadotropic hormone produced by the placenta, which begins to be produced from the first hours of pregnancy. HCG doubles every 48 hours and increases several thousand times by 7-11 weeks of pregnancy, then its level gradually begins to decrease, which is normal. Home pregnancy tests are based on the determination of the content higher level HCG in urine. After an abortion, pregnancy tests may remain positive for some time, due to a gradual decrease in the level of hCG hormone in the body after removal of the fertilized egg from the uterine cavity.

After the abortion procedure, pregnancy tests are not recommended, as their results will be false positive. As a rule, after an abortion, a woman is under the supervision of doctors until the onset of the next cycle, which will eliminate and prevent complications after the abortion procedure. Tests performed at home are not an informative way to determine the absence of pregnancy after an abortion. A home test can only detect hormone levels that exceed the sensitivity of the test itself. Some patients note that over time after an abortion, the tests become paler (the result is interpreted as weakly positive), then negative, which shows the dynamics of a decrease in the concentration of hCG in the urine after an abortion. It should be remembered that post-abortion tests are not an acceptable way to determine the success of the procedure. Tests cannot rule out complications after an abortion. What test results are alarming? When should you see a doctor if the test is positive after an abortion?

Test after abortion: normal options

After the abortion procedure, tests may be positive, which is associated with a gradual decrease in the concentration of hCG in the woman’s body after termination of pregnancy. So, the test after an abortion will be positive in the first 24-48 hours after the procedure. The level of hCG depends on the duration of pregnancy: the later the gestation is interrupted, the higher the concentration of this hormone in the woman’s body, and the higher the likelihood that the test after an abortion will be positive.

If after an abortion the test shows a positive or weakly positive result, it is recommended to repeat the test at intervals of 2-3 days. If the test after an abortion shows a positive result and the test strip is brighter than the control, then the woman is advised to visit a doctor for consultation and additional examinations. After an abortion, tests are not a valid diagnostic method. As a rule, it is difficult to track the dynamics of hCG using pregnancy tests after an abortion. However, if 10-14 days after the abortion the test turns out to be positive, then this is an alarming signal that requires immediate contact with a specialist.

After an abortion, the test is positive: what the result can indicate at different stages

Although tests may show a positive result for some time after an abortion, which results can be considered normal, and which ones should you consult a doctor?

After an abortion, the test may be positive in the following cases:

  • Incomplete abortion - parts of the fertilized egg remain in the uterine cavity;
  • Carrying out a conventional abortion during an ectopic pregnancy - an ectopic pregnancy requires abortion according to a fundamentally different scheme. In this case, the fertilized egg is located outside the uterine cavity, which is cleaned out during a traditional abortion, as a result of which the fertilized egg is not removed;
  • Live developing pregnancy after abortion (medical error);
  • New pregnancy in the first cycle after an abortion.

If after an abortion the test shows pregnancy, then in such a situation it is important to exclude incomplete abortion, for which the woman needs to undergo a series of tests and undergo ultrasound monitoring. If parts of the fertilized egg remain in the uterine cavity, then after an abortion the test may remain positive.

Many women are unaware that immediately after an abortion the body is already capable of conceiving again. By losing vigilance, a woman can become pregnant 10-15 days after an abortion. By taking a home pregnancy test after an abortion, women may find a positive result. This situation is possible due to the fact that on the day of the abortion, a new menstrual cycle begins in the woman’s body, and a new egg matures. If unprotected intercourse occurs during the ovulation period, then the probability of pregnancy is the same as in healthy woman reproductive age.

If immediately after an abortion the test shows pregnancy with test and control stripes of the same brightness, the opposite dynamics are not observed (the test becomes weakly positive and after a while is completely negative), then the woman should consult a doctor for testing. During this period, it is important to exclude ectopic pregnancy, incomplete abortion, or developing pregnancy after an abortion. Tests for home pregnancy determination are not a 100% reliable diagnostic method, but they can help you consult a doctor in time if there are alarming signs of an ongoing pregnancy or the development of a new pregnancy after an abortion.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:


For many, the birth of a baby is happiness, albeit sometimes unexpected. But there are situations when a woman is forced to abandon this child and have an abortion. Moreover, deciding to take such a step can only be done very early, up to 12 weeks.

To make sure that the abortion went as expected, the girls do a test literally the next day. And they are very surprised if it turns out to be positive. Why might this be the result? To answer the question, it is worth considering the principle of operation of pregnancy tests.

Hormonal changes

When did conception occur? female body Changes begin immediately that contribute to the successful bearing of the child. In particular, a completely different amount of hormones is produced. The ovaries produce progesterone, which is actually responsible for maintaining and preserving pregnancy. The placenta synthesizes several hormones at once:

  1. Placental lactogen. It is responsible for maintaining the vital functions of the placenta itself.
  2. Chorionic gonadotropin (common abbreviation for hCG). It is this hormone that is responsible for the formation of gender in the fetus.
  3. Prolactin.

After the fetus and placenta are removed from the uterus, the body stops producing hormones in such quantities. But this does not happen immediately, as many women think. And since any modern home test reacts precisely to the concentration of hCG in the urine, it is not surprising that the day after vacuum aspiration or medical termination of pregnancy it will be positive.

If several tests done after an abortion turn out to be positive, you should immediately consult a doctor. After all, hCG continues to be produced, even if a small particle of the embryo remains.

Reasons for positive tests

If a woman takes a pregnancy test after an abortion, there is a high chance that it will be positive. This is often scary and makes you wonder if the procedure was successful. Let's try to figure out why this result could be. In what situations is it necessary to consult a doctor?

Within normal limits


When is two lines on the test (positive) the norm? In the first two days after the procedure. The fact is that the concentration of hCG cannot decrease quickly, so the test will react to it. Moreover, the amount of the hormone will depend on the stage at which the pregnancy was terminated (than later date, the longer the positive result will last).

But there are other reasons why such an outcome is possible. Firstly, this is a false positive test. After all, no one gives a 100% guarantee that even the most expensive products will be of high quality and show true information. There is also no such confidence in those with low sensitivity. Especially when you consider that the indicator is influenced by factors such as:

  • Dieting.
  • Taking medications containing gonadotropin (Pregnil).
  • Kidney problem. This includes diseases whose symptom is the presence of protein in the urine. It is this that provokes the distortion of the indicator.

Don't ignore the option repeat pregnancy. After all, after the procedure, the birth of a new life is possible already in this cycle, and not after a few months, as girls sometimes assume. Therefore, to ensure that there is no suspicion of a new pregnancy, avoid sexual relations for the first 3 weeks.

To make sure the result is correct, do 3-4 tests with an interval of a couple of days. It is advisable to use products from different companies.

Serious problems

In many cases, the first and even the second test after an abortion with a positive result does not cause serious concern to the doctor. But if after some time human chorionic gonadotropin does not disappear from the blood, then additional examination is necessary. After all, this may indicate that particles of the embryo remained in the uterus, that is, an incomplete abortion was performed. This means you will have to do the cleaning again.

Vacuum aspiration, as well as pharmabort, are currently considered the least dangerous for women's health. But as statistics show, they are often incomplete. Therefore, women who decide to take such a step should be especially careful.

Why else could there be a positive test:

  1. The synthesis of chorionic gonadotropin continues if there was not a uterine, but an ectopic pregnancy, that is, the fetus began to develop in the abdominal cavity.
  2. Ectopic pregnancy, when the fetus is attached to the fallopian tube or to the ovary.
  3. Sometimes the fetus, especially after a medical abortion, does not die and continues to develop.

In pharmacological abortion, antiprogestogens are used, the purpose of which is to increase the contraction of the uterus and at the same time relax its cervix. As a result, in many cases, several particles, or even the entire fertilized egg, are preserved.

A medical error cannot be ruled out, due to which the embryo continues to develop in the uterus.

Further actions

What to do if you see a positive test after an abortion? Firstly, you should not make assumptions based on the results of just one test - you need to do it at least 3 times, and even then not every day, but with a short time interval. Secondly, be sure to contact a gynecologist and get examined. But under no circumstances draw conclusions on your own.

Since it is necessary to find out exactly why the hCG hormone continues to be produced by the body, it is necessary:

  1. Be examined in a gynecological chair.
  2. Do ultrasonography pelvic organs. Since it is in the presence of a fertilized egg that the test will be positive, you need to find out where it is attached. You may have had an ectopic pregnancy.

Positive test is only a reason to suspect a problem. Only a specialist should figure it out.

In the female body, all processes that are associated with maintaining a stable menstrual cycle and fertilization are ensured working together a large number of systems and hormones: pituitary, reproductive, and hypothalamic. During pregnancy, the relationship between these hormones changes. It is this factor that often becomes the reason that a woman receives a positive test after termination of pregnancy.

Pregnancy and hormones

In the ovarian tissue, when pregnancy occurs, the process of formation of the so-called corpus luteum occurs, which produces progesterone, which contributes to its preservation. The placenta also has the ability to produce hormones: it produces the so-called placental lactogen, which ensures the normal functioning of the placenta itself, as well as prolactin and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), necessary for the complex mechanisms of formation of the unborn child’s gender. The principle of operation of all tests aimed at determining pregnancy is based on the interaction of the indicator substance with this hormone.

Positive test after medical termination of pregnancy

Very often, a woman cannot understand why after an abortion the test is positive, because there is no longer an embryo in the uterus - the pregnancy has already been resolved. So, during a medical abortion, the placenta and fertilized egg are expelled from the uterine area, and since the synthesis of human chorionic gonadotropin depends directly on the work of the placenta, after its expulsion, the amount of hormones in the blood and urine begins to decrease. However, it decreases very slowly. This is why the test is positive in the first time after termination of pregnancy - there is still a high concentration of gonadotropin in the blood, which determines the positive test results.

In a normal course, human chorionic gonadotropin ceases to be detected in the blood plasma after the first day after termination of pregnancy. However, sometimes this does not happen, and after an abortion the test shows pregnancy, despite the fact that several weeks have already passed. A similar situation may arise if even a fairly small piece of fertilized egg remains in the uterine area.

In some cases, a positive test after pharmaabortion is indeed a false positive, since not all tests have the same sensitivity. The final result may be influenced by:

  • diet;
  • taking medications that contain hCG, for example, rotten;
  • kidney diseases that are accompanied by the release of protein in the urine, causing the results of the reaction to be distorted in a certain direction.

This is why it is better to test several times at intervals of several days, and it is better to use test strips from different manufacturers.

Another reason

Another reason why a woman positive test after medical termination of pregnancy, may consist in the ectopic localization of the fetus, as a result of which its development does not occur in the uterus itself, but in one of the fallopian tubes or in the ovary directly. Of course, using the pharmabort technique, it is problematic to remove the embryo from the tube. The membranes of the fetus remaining in the female body will continue to synthesize hCG, which ensures a positive test result.

Quite rarely, the source of hCG production can be the presence of an ectopic pregnancy with the embryo localized in the abdominal cavity. A similar picture is observed in some situations where medical termination of pregnancy did not lead to fetal death. In this case, the fertilized egg remains in the uterine cavity, causing a positive test result. In this situation it will be true, since the woman is still pregnant. Pharmacological abortion is performed by taking antiprogestogens - drugs that increase contractions of the uterus with parallel relaxation of its cervix. It should be noted that with this method of abortion there is a much higher probability that pieces of the fertilized egg, as well as its membranes, will remain in the uterine cavity.

Even despite the apparent simplicity of such an abortion, it represents a serious intervention in the female reproductive sphere, and therefore should only be under the careful supervision of a doctor in a specialized clinic. Otherwise, there is a very high probability of complications. Bleeding in the uterine cavity, the impossibility of another pregnancy - all this is quite possible with uncontrolled use of such drugs.

What should a woman do if she has a positive test after pharmaabortion?

What should you do if, after an abortion, the test is positive and there are no periods, despite the fact that quite a lot of time has passed? You should not try to solve this problem yourself, since it may be caused by conditions that cannot be corrected without outside help. For example, the presence of an ectopic tubal pregnancy is a dangerous pathology that can provoke rupture of the fallopian tube.

Only a doctor can make a correct decision about a woman’s health status after conducting a full examination. Positive test after medical termination of pregnancy, however, just like after any other, it acts as a wonderful “assistant” for a woman, which gives her the opportunity to promptly suspect the presence of “problems” related to her sexual sphere, and without wasting precious time, seek the help of a doctor.