If you think you might be pregnant, finding out for sure is a priority! You want to know the answer quickly and have accurate results, but the cost of finding out whether you’re pregnant can add up, especially if you’re testing every month.
The frugal mom-to-be may have noticed that dollar stores frequently sell pregnancy tests. But can you trust these tests to be accurate? Are there any differences you should be aware of before you decide to invest in a dollar store pregnancy test?
Because the Food and Drug Administration regulates home pregnancy tests, if they’re being sold legally in the United States, they should be the real deal! Dollar pregnancy tests have the same accuracy rate as more expensive tests.
That said, some more expensive home pregnancy tests are designed to be faster or easier to read. So, there are some advantages to paying a little extra if you need a quick answer or think you might struggle to read the test results.
Something else to keep in mind: All pregnancy tests are only as accurate as the testing person’s methodology! It’s essential to follow your specific test’s instructions and carefully read the results regardless of where you purchase it.
Like the pregnancy tests you’ll find in the grocery or drug store, dollar store pregnancy tests measure the hCG levels in your urine to determine whether you’re pregnant.
Specific directions will differ by brand no matter where the test is purchased. Some low cost pregnancy tests may require that you wait a little longer to see the results. And you may have to interpret lines instead of having a symbol or word appear, but the testing process itself should be very similar.
Perhaps the biggest difference between dollar store and drug store pregnancy tests is the ease of locating one. Some dollar stores do not carry pregnancy tests or may only have limited supplies.
To guarantee access to a dollar store pregnancy test, you may need to plan ahead and grab one when they’re in stock.
For the best results, take a urine-based pregnancy test the week after your missed period. If your menstrual cycle is irregular, waiting about 2 weeks from the date of potential conception is ideal. That way, if you’re pregnant, hCG levels will be high enough to register on a home pregnancy test.
It’s usually best to take a home pregnancy test in the morning when hCG levels in urine tend to be the highest.
While uncommon, it’s possible to get a positive result on your pregnancy test without being pregnant. What could this positive result mean?
- You may have had a chemical pregnancy.
- You may be going through menopause and have elevated hCG levels.
- You may have had an ectopic pregnancy.
- You may have certain ovarian conditions like ovarian cysts.
You should communicate with your doctor if you receive a positive result but don’t believe you’re pregnant. They may wish to rule out any other health problems.
More common than getting a false positive is having a home pregnancy test show that you’re not pregnant when, in fact, you are. If you get a negative result but believe you may be pregnant, you might want to take another test in a few days, as your negative result may be a result of the following:
- Certain medications. Some drugs like tranquilizers or anticonvulsants can interfere with the accuracy of pregnancy tests.
- Diluted urine. This is one of the reasons why taking a pregnancy test in the morning can give you more accurate results!
- Taking the test too early. If your pregnancy is a little newer than you think and your body is still ramping up its hCG production, there may not be enough of this hormone in your blood to show up on a test.
- Not following the test directions closely enough. You really do have to wait as long as the test instructions say!
If you’re hoping to save some money, the good news is that there’s not much difference in performance between dollar store pregnancy tests and the one you’d buy at the drug store.
No matter where you buy your pregnancy test, follow the directions exactly for the best results.
Remember to follow up with your doctor if you discover that you’re pregnant. And if you’ve been trying to conceive for more than 6 months without success, you may also want to follow up with a fertility specialist.
Soon enough, you’ll have a definite pregnancy test result, and you’ll be able to move forward with confidence.
Out of all the home pregnancy kits, the dollar store pregnancy test kits are
considered economical. These tests cost a dollar and are as efficient as other expensive home pregnancy tests. These test kits require placing an absorbent tip in the urine sample. The tool reveals the results nearly three minutes after the dip. But the efficacy may be doubtful to a few, considering the low price. In this post, we have discussed some aspects of dollar store pregnancy kits, their accuracy, and answers to the most posed questions on their reliability. The pregnancy test kit works by identifying the hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in your urine sample. When you conceive, your body starts to produce this hormone (1). But it does not immediately produce enough for the kit to identify in your urine sample. Therefore, you need to wait a few
weeks after ovulation to test for pregnancy.How Do Pregnancy Test Kits Work?
During ovulation, your egg undergoes fertilization with your partner’s sperm. Once the fertilization occurs, the egg, now called an embryo, spends a few days traveling down the Fallopian tube. Once out, it implants itself to the uterine lining. It almost takes six to ten days from ovulation to implantation. Here is when your body starts producing the hCG hormone (2). This is the reason you will not know you are pregnant until you miss your periods.
The Ease Of Dollar Store Pregnancy Test
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A dollar store or dollar tree pregnancy test kit has easy-to-read instructions. The kit provides quick and usually accurate results, provided you follow the instructions on the pack. Besides, they are compact and easy to carry, just like travel-size toiletries.
The test has its downside as well. It is quite small, and this makes it difficult to handle and use.
How Accurate Is A Dollar Store Pregnancy Test?
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The dollar store or dollar tree pregnancy tests claim to be more than 99% accurate. However, their accuracy depends on multiple factors, such as using the kit properly.
As per the US Food and Drug Administration (3), “the accuracy of a pregnancy test depends on how well the instructions to use and interpret the results are followed. If a test kit is mishandled or misunderstood, you are likely to get poor results.”
Dollar Store Pregnancy Test Sensitivity
The dollar store pregnancy test is said to be 99% accurate, but it may not detect low levels of hCG. This is the reason you may want to wait for a week after missing your period before using the kit. Most experts agree that you get the most accurate results when your expected period is a week late.
How Soon Can You Take A Dollar Store Pregnancy Test?
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Your body gives you signs, albeit minor ones, to show that you are pregnant. Many women miss these signs because they are similar to the symptoms you get just before your menstrual period is due (4). You can use a dollar store pregnancy test if you notice one or more of the following early symptoms of pregnancy. However, there is no clinical indication that these signs demonstrate the right time to take a pregnancy test.
1. Missed period
This is the most obvious sign of pregnancy. However, change in diet, excessive exercise, stress, or an underlying medical condition such as thyroid problems can affect your menstrual cycle (5). If you chart your cycle, which you will when trying to conceive, you should be able to determine the date of your expected period. If your period doesn’t occur, you can take out that home pregnancy test and use it. However, gynecologists generally recommend using the test a week after the missed period.
2. Fatigue
You start feeling tired for no reason. As your pregnancy progresses, you may feel more fatigued and tired until your hCG levels finally settle down. Fatigue is one of the early symptoms of pregnancy but often overlooked because women also have the same tiredness when their menstrual period is around the corner. Tiredness could also be due to hectic work and home schedule, so it always does not indicate pregnancy.
3. Abdominal cramps
When implantation occurs, it causes cramps similar to what you experience when you get your menstrual period. This may lead you to believe that you are about to get your period, but it will not start as scheduled. Abdominal cramps could also happen in case of prolonged gaps between meals and persistent flatulence or bloating.
4. Breast tenderness
Your body starts preparing for the baby when you are pregnant. The increase in estrogen and progesterone levels causes changes in your body, including enlargement of breasts. Your breasts and nipples will get tender and sore. You may also notice that your breast size increases. This happens due to an increase in blood flow (6).
5. Frequent urination
You may suddenly feel the urge to urinate often due to the changes in your hormone levels that cause more blood flow through your kidneys. This fills your bladder quickly and hence, the need to urinate frequently. However, frequent urination is usually observed from six to eight weeks of pregnancy.
6. Mood swings
Hormone fluctuations cause mood swings not only before your period but also in the early days of your pregnancy. Combined with fatigue, it can compound the problem. However, mood swings could happen due to other reasons, as well.
All the probable reasons that indicate a possible pregnancy are highly differential. Therefore, it is best to wait until you miss your period to take the test.
How To Read A Dollar Store Pregnancy Test?
The dollar store pregnancy test can detect hCG levels from 20mIU/ml. The instructions on the pack clearly tell you how to take the test.
- Pee into a disposable cup and then use the pipette to siphon out a small amount of urine from the cup.
- Use the pipette to drop the urine into the slot in the test strip and wait for the urine to travel up the test
- Once this is done, the results will be apparent by the appearance of test lines.
You can get just three results when using a Dollar Store pregnancy test:
- Two light pink to dark pink test lines indicating a positive pregnancy test.
- One test line means a negative result (you are not pregnant).
- No test line shows an invalid result. This could be because you didn’t use the test as instructed, or the test kit has crossed its expiry date.
Dollar Store Pregnancy Test Faint Line
If you are pregnant, the dollar store pregnancy test will show two lines on the test strip. Sometimes, the variable line, which indicates a positive result, could be faint. This can lead to confusion – are you pregnant or not. Even if the line is extremely faint, it is a positive result.
When you test too early, your urine does not have sufficient amounts of hCG. Hence, the variable line is faint and not as pronounced as the control line. However, a faint line, too, indicates that you have used the kit correctly.
But, to confirm the test result, it is wise to schedule an appointment with your doctor promptly. The doctor will perform a blood test as this is more accurate. Usually, a blood test is done ten days after you miss your menstrual period. The levels of hCG in these results would help confirm a positive pregnancy.
Along with a faint line, women might also encounter a “false positive” or “false negative” result. These are not uncommon and can happen due to various reasons.
What Is False Positive On Dollar Store Pregnancy Test?
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Sometimes, your dollar store pregnancy test may be positive when you are not pregnant. False positives can occur due to various reasons. Here we list a few probable reasons:
1. Incorrect testing
If you don’t follow the dollar store pregnancy test instructions precisely, then the chances are that you might end up with a false positive even though you are not pregnant. Hence, it is important to read the instructions carefully and follow them to the T to get accurate results.
2. Defective pregnancy test
All home pregnancy test kits have an expiration date. If you use a Dollar Store pregnancy test after the expiry date, it can lead to false positive. The only way to get an accurate result is to use a test kit within the expiry date marked on the pack.
3. Evaporation line
If you wait longer than the recommended time to read your test result, the urine will evaporate. This leaves behind an evaporation line on the test strip along with the control line. It will prompt you to believe you are pregnant when you are not.
4. Chemical pregnancy
Sometimes, the sperm fertilizes the egg successfully. However, the embryo fails to survive. This leads to a false positive because your body produces hCG as the embryo begins the implantation process, but does not complete it. Although called a chemical pregnancy, it is nothing but an extremely early miscarriage. You will experience bleeding around the time of your menstrual period as a result of the miscarriage (7).
5. Medications
Certain medications, like anti-epileptic (barbiturates), anti-anxiety (e.g. Valium “diazepam”, Xanax “alprazolam”), diuretics (e.g. lasix) promethazine (anti-allergy medication), and anti-psychosis medications (e.g. chlorpromazine, clozapine) can lead to a false positive result because they cause hCG levels in your body to increase (8)
6. Fertility treatment
Women undergoing fertility treatment receive hCG shots to spur ovulation. This can give a false positive two to three weeks after you take the shot. The best way to confirm your pregnancy is to get a doctor to test your blood.
7. Ovarian cyst
Ovarian cysts are benign and usually disappear on their own. However, these fluid-filled cysts cause the hCG levels in your body to increase marginally, which your pregnancy test may be able to detect, leading to a false-positive result (9).
If your Dollar Store pregnancy test comes away positive, but you doubt the veracity of the result, it is time to make an appointment with your doctor. With the help of a blood test and maybe ultrasound scans, your doctor will be able to confirm your pregnancy.
What Is False Negative On Dollar Store Pregnancy Tests?
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Imagine that you use the dollar store pregnancy test kit, and you get a negative result only to find out a few weeks later that you are pregnant. This can lead to confusion, stress, and anxiety. There are many reasons why a dollar store pregnancy tests false negative (10).
1. Testing too early
The main reason for a false negative is testing your urine too early. A Dollar Store pregnancy test kit is not designed for early detection. This will give a false negative. You should wait to miss your period, perhaps three to four days after the due date, to test your urine. This will give a more accurate result.
2. Not using the test properly
Yes, we know you are excited about using the pregnancy test from the dollar store, but this excitement prevents you from reading the directions and instructions on the package. If you don’t read and follow the instructions carefully, don’t expect the test results to be accurate. You could easily end up with a false negative because you didn’t wait long enough for the test to yield the results, or you didn’t put enough urine in the slot.
3. Reading the results too early or late
Make sure you read the results within the time limit mentioned in the instructions. If you read it too early, then it will prevent the test from displaying accurate results. On the other hand, if you check the result after the time range, the test will be inaccurate. In fact, the result is considered invalid regardless of what it shows.
4. Diluted urine
If you drink too much water before taking the test, it dilutes the concentration of hCG in your urine. So, you get a false negative. This is the reason you should use the first urine in the morning, which is concentrated, for a Dollar Store pregnancy test (11).
5. Obesity
Obese women with a high body mass index (BMI) tend to have lower levels of hCG. So, if you are obese, your home pregnancy test may be negative for quite a while. It will take time for the result to turn positive, and this will happen only when hCG levels in your body build up to such an extent that the test can deduct it (12).
6. Pregnancy problems
You can get a false negative if you have a chemical pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, or early miscarriage. Under such circumstances, initially, you may get a positive result, and a few days later a negative one. If you get two different results, schedule an appointment with your doctor. Remember, ectopic pregnancy is dangerous and life-threatening. It can damage your internal organs, leading to irreversible infertility.
Don’t get despondent if you get a negative after trying to conceive. If you think you are pregnant even after a negative result, wait a few days and test your urine again. If you get a positive this time, you need to visit your doctor. A more accurate test, such as an hCG blood test, will give you a definitive answer whether you are pregnant or not.
The Next Steps After Dollar Store Pregnancy Test
After you get your Dollar Store pregnancy test results, there are a few things that you should do based on the results.
1. Positive result
If you get one test positive, then you can try once more and see if it confirms the previous test. If it does, then schedule an appointment with your doctor for a blood test and ultrasound. The two will confirm your pregnancy at an accuracy rate of almost 100%. Once your pregnancy is confirmed, you can immediately begin prenatal care to ensure a healthy and safe pregnancy.
2. Mixed results
If you have had mixed results with the multiple Dollar Store pregnancy tests, you still need to visit your healthcare provider for a checkup. A mixed result could be a chemical pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, or confirmed pregnancy. Your doctor may recommend a blood test or ultrasound to find out the cause of the mixed results and suggest an appropriate course of treatment.
3. Negative result
If you get a negative result, you should get your period. In the case of a missed or late period, repeat the pregnancy test a week after taking the first test. Depending upon the test result, consult a gynecologist.
4. Continued negative result
If you get a negative result again and your period doesn’t begin, it is time to consult your doctor. A missed period could be a sign of some underlying health problem, such as low body weight, stress, over-exertion, too much exercise, thyroid disorders, or problems with your ovaries. By finding out the cause of amenorrhea (missed menstrual period), the doctor can treat you and make sure your menstrual cycle resumes.
1. Can I take a dollar tree pregnancy test before a missed period?
No. A dollar pregnancy test may not detect pregnancy before a missed period. It can only provide results based on hCG levels in your body after you miss your periods.
2. Are pregnancy tests from dollar tree as effective as expensive tests?
Yes. Although some expensive pregnancy test kits may provide quicker results, dollar tree pregnancy tests are believed to be as accurate as expensive ones.
Dollar store pregnancy test kits, also called “cheapies” in slang, are the most economical home pregnancy test kits. The makers claim these kits to be 99% accurate, but it is possible that they may not be able to detect minimal amounts of HCG. You can consider repeat testing in a couple of days or checking for pregnancy only a week after a missed period to confirm the results. More than the make and brand, the way you follow the instructions to use the kit determines the accuracy of the report.
References:
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Rebecca is a pregnancy writer and editor with a passion for delivering research-based and engaging content in areas of fertility, pregnancy, birth, and post-pregnancy. She did her
graduation in Biotechnology and Genetics from Loyola Academy, Osmania University and obtained a certification in ‘Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy’ from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU). She has been into health and...
Dr. Shazly is a clinical fellow at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals, NHS Trust, UK. Previously, he worked as a research collaborator at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, US, for seven years. Having obtained his Medical Doctorate in Ob/Gyn, he did his
Master's in Genomics from the University of South Wales. Dr. Shazly published approximately 48 articles and one book and has been...
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