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Chemical Pregnancy and Testing

What is a chemical pregnancy?

A home pregnancy test is designed to determine pregnancy through the detection of the hormone hCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) in a urine sample. hCG is a glycoprotein hormone secreted by the developing placenta shortly after a fertilized egg has been implanted in the uterine lining (conception is defined as the union of sperm and egg, while implantation is when the ovum actually embeds in the wall of the womb). The appearance of hCG soon after implantation of the egg, and its subsequent rise in concentration of hCG during early fetal development, makes it an excellent marker for the early detection of pregnancy.

A chemical pregnancy can produce a temporary positive result on a pregnancy test. What is a chemical pregnancy? Sometimes an early pregnancy is detected - followed by negative test results. A chemical pregnancy means implantation takes place (hCG is produced for a short time) followed by a miscarriage (generally, before any other pregnancy symptoms or signs are noticeable). Chemical pregnancies are quite common and typically only detected by couples who are actively trying to conceive and test for pregnancy on a regular basis. They occur very early - and the pregnancy ends very soon after impantation.

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