| "Hook Effect"..False Negatives
I was browsing through several pregnancy forums last night and I found something interesting I'd like to share. I've read so many cases where women KNOW they're pregnant, but continue to get negative hpt's and blood tests. Some eventually test positive in their second trimester and some never do. Most of these women are told by several physicians that they just need to face the facts that they're not pregnant. They can't verify it until they demand an ultra sound. One such woman was told she needed to seek a psych-evaluation, meaning...she was a nut case. She refused and got a scan..17 weeks pregnant! These are not isolated occurences. This is happening everywhere, but it's still not discussed or accepted by most of the medical community. These women are getting false negatives due to the "Hook Effect." It happens when hcg is too strong, numbers off the chart and can't be read or translated. When this is suspected, they're urine/blood has to be diluted in a lab in order to get an accurate reading. One case was caused by triplets and hcg was too high. Other medical problems can also contribute. Just wanted to share that and say that if you KNOW you're pregnant..don't allow a doctor to dimiss you. We know our bodies. | 
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