Ask a Question
or
Create a Poll
  1. Home /
  2. Questions /
  3. Kids
  4. / Pregnancy
  5. / Pregnancy Tests

by Anonymous on December 1st, 2004

Anonymous

Question

Help answer this question below.

Can a blood test detect if you're pregnant? If so, how long after pregnancy would the results still show as positive?

  • Like
  • Report
Share:
Other

Answers. Showing one answer.

  • by riffraff814 on March 2nd, 2005

    riffraff814

    Yes.

    Most blood tests test for HCG. This is high in the early part of pregnancy, but lower later in pregnancy. So, after a full term pregnancy, the blood test would likely not show any HCG.

    If a pregnancy is miscarried (or aborted) in the first trimester, then HCG may remain in the bloodstream for a short while afterwards. Actually, if a natural miscarriage occurs, then the doctor likes to followup with repeated blood tests to ensure that all the "products of conception" were expelled. A repeated test with a rate of HCG fall or rise that's abnormal can point to a problem with the pregnancy.

    It *usually* takes under a month for the levels to fall to zero. If the pregnancy wasn't very fully developed, it can take less than a week.

    Comments

    • hCG levels are highest in the first trimester (doubling every 2-3 days until it peaks in the third month) and can remain elevated for 4-6 weeks.

      Levels also don't fall to 'zero'. There is a small quantity in even non-pregnant women and men!

      Little Miss Dangerous

      by Little Miss Dangerous on January 9th, 2007

    1 comment | Post one | Permalink

Want to attach an image to your answer? Click here.

Did this answer your question? If not, then ask a new question or create a poll.

More Questions. Additional questions in this category.

You're reading Can a blood test detect if you're pregnant? If so, how long after pregnancy would the results still show as positive?

Follow us on Facebook!

Related Ads

Related Questions

Professionally Researched

Answerbag

a Demand Media company