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The moment you take a pregnancy test at home is a moment of a roller coaster of emotions! Irrespective of the results you desire, you’ll find your heart leaping like a giant frog, thumping against your chest till the moment of truth finally comes upon you. It’s only after that that your face breaks out into a wide grin, or your head bows low in disappointment.
But no matter what the results you want, expect, and get, a single test is never enough to confirm the news you want to hear, right?
At the time, the thought of reusing the pregnancy test you hold in your hands might cross your mind. But the question is — should you reuse it? Is it a wise decision?
Well, let’s find out.
Reusing A Pregnancy Test Kit – Does It Work?
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If you want to know whether you can merely reuse it, you’d be happy to know that you can. But can you reuse it and get accurate results? Well then, we’re afraid we have some bad news. Pregnancy tests are not designed to be reusable. They are designed to be disposable. This means, once you’re done with it, it’s best thrown away. A second use of the same test will guarantee far from accurate results. So, yes, reusing the same doesn’t work.
Why Does A Reused Pregnancy Test Not Work?
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This is a slightly tricky question to answer. So bear with us as we try to explain. You see, as we said before, pregnancy tests are designed to be disposable. Their single-use nature is what ensures the accuracy of results.
Though simple enough to use, the test kits are highly sensitive. So once you pee on it, the chemicals within the test interact with your pee to ascertain if you’re pregnant or not. Now, basic rules of chemistry have taught all of us that once two elements combine and lead to a reaction, there’s no way for you to carry out that same reaction in a precise manner. You must use new elements to get an accurate result.
Reused Pregnancy Test Shows Positive Results — What About That?
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There could be cases where you reuse the same pregnancy test and get a positive result. A realistic scenario as it may be, you must know that the result you get is nothing but a false positive.
Why? When a pregnancy test dries up, it develops something called an evaporation line.
What is that, you ask? An evaporation line is a faint and colorless line that presents itself when your pee in the test dries. Add more water (or, in this case, urine) to it, and the line will turn deeper in color, presenting itself as a false positive.
This false positive can be a source of raised expectations or even disappointment. So if you want to save yourself the anguish and be sure of where you really stand, getting a new pregnancy test and taking it again will help. It’s the best way to avoid all that unnecessary stress and get one side of the fence for good.
Are There Any Pregnancy Tests That Allow Reusing?
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To be frank, no. Pregnancy is a life-altering event. So if you really want to be sure that you’re pregnant, you might as well get yourself a new kit instead of trying to reuse an old one and relying on its inaccurate results. Pregnancy tests use HCG strips to guarantee the accuracy of results, and as you know, these strips can only be used once. They lose their accuracy as soon as they come in contact with external elements such as moisture or air.
What About Digital Pregnancy Tests?
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That’s a good question. Digital pregnancy tests are quite useful in finding out if you’re pregnant or not even before you miss your periods. They are quick to detect the pregnancy hormones in your body and tell you beforehand whether there’s a bun in the oven.
Now you might think that since it’s a digital test, you can reuse it. But the truth is you can’t. There’s no study to prove that the reuse of the same digital test will ensure accurate results. Most pack instructions also do not mention this. While it’s true that digital tests do not use line indicators to show results, they still make use of HCG and hence, cannot be reused.
With that being said, pregnancy can prove to be the most wonderful time of your life. Hence, it’s wise to be absolutely sure that you’re pregnant so you can reap its many joys. Reusing the same test will not give you that accuracy, but using a new one will. Fortunately, pregnancy tests are quite affordable, so you don’t have to worry about stocking up. It’ll save you from a lot of stress and anguish.
