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Navigate: FAQ Home Page > Female -- Periods > False positives after abortion?
Posted on: 04/12/2010
Question
I had an abortion a little over a month ago. Now I think I am pregnant again. I am two weeks late and took a few tests. Is there any way they could be false positives, because I could still have the hormones left from the previous pregnancy? Help me!
Answer
Usually the bhcg levels (pregnancy hormone) drop back to negative within a month after a pregnancy ends. The urine pregnancy tests check for this hormone level and that's why it is often positive after the end of pregnancy. If your abortion was more than one month ago, you might have conceived again. I would have your bhcg levels (actual quantitative number) drawn at the clinic to determine if the levels are dropping (sign that this is still resolving from prior pregnancy) or if they are rising (consistent with a new pregnancy). You should contact your doctor to discuss further.