Inside a positive clear blue digital test

Clearblue Digital Pregnancy Test with Smart Countdown

Q1. My result is Pregnant. What should I do? See your doctor who can advise you on your next steps. A 'Pregnant' result stays on screen for up to 6 months.

Q2. My result is Not Pregnant. What does this mean? You may not be pregnant or the level of pregnancy hormone may not yet be high enough to be detected. Test again in three days' time. If this test gives you a 'Not Pregnant' result and your period is late, see your doctor. A 'Not Pregnant' result stays on screen for approximately 24 hours.

Q3. How early can I test? This test can be used from 5 days before your missed period (4 days before you expect your period). However, as hormone levels vary from woman to woman, and in early pregnancy can be very low, you may be pregnant but still get a negative result. In lab testing, pregnancy detection rates were: >99% one day before the expected period, 98% 2 days before, 95% 3 days before, and 75% 4 days before (5 days sooner than your missed period).

Q4. How does Clearblue work? It detects the pregnancy hormone hCG (human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) in urine. Test sensitivity is 25mIU/ml.

Refer to instruction leaflet for more information.

__________________________

1. Missed period is the day after you expect your period. 75% of pregnant results can be detected 5 days before your missed period.

2. >99% accurate at detecting typical pregnancy hormone levels. Note that hormone levels vary. See insert.

Kierstin is a mom to two little girls and creator of the satirical podcast Really Good Advice for New Moms.

Disclaimer

Although for experimental reasons it's fun to open up digital pregnancy tests and look inside, understand that digital tests are not meant to be interpreted or used in any way other than how the manufacturer's directions tell you to.

Samuel Zeller on Unsplash

When I was trying to get pregnant, I did just about anything to confirm that I was pregnant including ripping open negative pregnancy tests to get a better look—something that is basically frowned upon by everyone everywhere, especially BabyCenter (Seriously, don't do this and then tell the moms on BabyCenter because they'll read you the riot act). I thought that if I could just get a more up close and personal, squinty look then my suspicions would be confirmed.

In fact, the only thing staring at a naked pregnancy test strip confirmed for me is that I was really desperate so to get an even clearer answer, one where I could simply read the words "Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant" instead of deciphering fuzzy lines, I turned my wallet upside down and shelled out for digital tests.

You're here because, like me, you still don't trust those words, whichever ones you just got, so you either already have or are thinking about busting open that dense plastic and peeling the damp test strip out.

I'm obligated to say, you really shouldn't do this. But why shouldn't you open up a digital pregnancy test if the strip inside is basically the same as a non-digital pregnancy test? Because the strip inside a digital pregnancy test is actually NOT the same as the strip inside the non-digitals.

The difference, in so many words, is that the digital test strip is meant to be interpreted by the sensors in the test and the test strip inside the non-digital test is meant to be interpreted by your eyes.

Here's the specific type of Clearblue digital used in this experiment.

Kierstin Gunsberg

Oh good, you're still here. I had to give you fair warning, but if you're still extra curious about what goes on inside a digital test, here's the rest of my story:

Now, back in my digital experimenting days I would promptly start Googling, "What does a positive Clearblue digital look like inside when it says Not Pregnant?" and I never got what I wanted which was to see clearly what a confirmed negative digital looked like inside and what a confirmed positive digital looked like inside and to compare the difference between those photos and my own test which always seemed to have a vague second line, even when it said "Not Pregnant".

Most of what came up though would be forum posts with like 29483 posts of "I don't know, you might be! SO MANY PRAYERS AND BABY DUST XOXO!!111" and "WTF YOU'RE GOING 2 HE'LL DON'T EVER DO THIS AGAIN U IDIAT"

It was impossible to decipher between the photos that showed a test from a pregnant woman from a test that came from a woman who turned out not to be pregnant. FOR SCIENCE I NEEDED MORE CLARITY and you do too! And you're in luck! I am a confirmed def-not-pregnant lady and my good friend is a confirmed absolutely-for-sure-gonna-have-a-baby-pregnant lady. To help you out, we both peed on some sticks, cracked 'em open and took some pictures.

First things first though, if you haven't already taken your digital test you need to go do that.

Your test should look like this fresh out of the packaging. If it has anything showing on the screen already then it's defective.

Kierstin Gunsberg

Tips for Taking a Clearblue With Smart Countdown

If you're taking a particular type of test for the first time, it's important to read through the directions that came with it before you start the test, just to make sure that you understand how to complete each step since the steps vary depending on the brand. Thankfully, the Clearblue digital is pretty straightforward, but here are some tips to ensure that everything goes smoothly:

• Rather than urinating directly on the testing area, pee in a sterile cup first. Then, dip the test according to the timing indicated in the directions. This way, you'll have more control and avoid user errors including not having enough urine to saturate the test strip or accidentally dropping it in the toilet. Yikes!
• After you take the test, don't wiggle it or wave it around too much. Replace the cap and set in on a flat surface while it develops the results.
• With the Clearblue Digital with Smart Countdown (the brand we used for this article), you should be able to tell that the test is working by the indicator within the window which will add a block every minute or so as the test develops to let you know that yes, it's hard to wait, but it is working.
• Rumor has it that the smart countdown takes longer if the test is negative and goes quicker if the test will be positive. Whether there's any validity to that though is yet to be confirmed.

Here's the Smart Countdown in action. Remember that it can take up to three minutes to develop your results.

Kierstin Gunsberg

What You'll Need

To safely dismantle your test you'll need:

• A pair of thick rubber gloves
• A plastic container (a Rubbermaid box or bus tub will work well)
• Clean pair of tweezers
• A trashcan nearby

Here is the opposite end of the testing area, where you'll gently insert one of the tweezer prongs.

Kierstin Gunsberg

How to Take Apart a Clearblue Pregnancy Test

If you haven't already opened your test to see what's inside here's how to do it:

1. Slip on the gloves. You're going to want to protect your fingers from the inside of the test which can have sharp edges.
2. Place the test in the plastic container. This is so that while you're opening the test, any loose pieces that might fly out like the button battery or chemical compounds (they're solid, don't worry) won't get lost in space - or worse, your dog's stomach. (Also, throw all of this safely int he garbage when you're done analyzing).
3. Remove the blue cap from the testing area. You need to do this so that it's easier to open up that end of the test.
4. Take your tweezers and, with the bottom end of the test facing you, insert one of the tweezer prongs into the divot at the test seam, pictured above.
5. Gently wiggle the tweezers around until you feel the case loosening. There's not a perfect science to it, just be careful to keep your fingers out of the way (I've received blood blisters carelessly opening these things) and to work slowly so stuff doesn't fly out at you.
6. Pry the two pieces of casing away from each other until the test is open as in the picture below.
7. Last, use the tweezers to carefully remove the white test strip from the plastic casing and turn it over to see the lines.

Here's the inside of a Clearblue Digital with Smart Countdown

Kierstin Gunsberg

Most digital pregnancy tests will always show at least a vague second line.

Now that you're looking at the inside test strip you're probably wincing and analyzing it the same as you would have with a regular test at half the price. GREAT. Only this time, the results are probably even more ambiguous given that most digital pregnancy tests will always show at least a vague second line.

But why oh why do digital tests show a second line even when they say "not pregnant"?

I can't say for sure, I'm not an HPT manufacturer and I'm not even a real scientist. From what I've read, and from my own hypothesis there are probably two reasons:

1. Blue dye tests always seem to have a faint second line, even when they're absolutely negative.
2. It's possible that digital tests are testing for more than one kind of hormone as opposed to regular HPTs and that the extra vague line that's showing up is developing other hormones in your non-pregnant body.

Again, I can't tell you for sure, but what I can do is show you my (negative) results and then show you my friends (positive) results to give you some insight into just how defined that line really needs to be to interpret it as positive.

What Does the Inside of a Positive Clearblue Digital Pregnancy Test Look Like?

Cue the suspense music. So, what does the inside of a positive test look like anyway? Thanks to my friend I can show you:

A nice little positive Clearblue digital test.

Kierstin Gunsberg

Positive Clearblue Digital test strip with two lines.

Kierstin Gunsberg

As you can see, that test line is unmistakably positive. If your test says "not pregnant" but the inside of your test looks as bold and bright as that one above then I would hightail it to your OB.

It should be noted that when she took this test, my friend was confirmed by ultrasound to be in her first trimester so at the time she was definitely further along than most people who would be taking a digital for the first time that cycle. In fact, that test line is darker than the control. But what this shows us is that when a digital test strip is positive, there's no question whatsoever.

Negative Clearblue test.

Kierstin Gunsberg

Seeing "not pregnant" is really frustrating when you feel like your are. Here's six reasons why the test is negative but you feel pregnant.

What Does the Inside of a Negative Clearblue Test Look Like Then?

Now for the inside of a negative digital. I took this test when I was one or two days from beginning my next cycle, so in theory, if I had been pregnant it would have been very early on but still close enough to my period due date for me to most likely receive a positive result.

Negative Clearblue Digital test strip with super faint second line.

Kierstin Gunsberg

As you can see, this test looks much, much different from my friend's clearly positive one. Still, if you wince, if you really, really want for it to be there, there is a vague (vague) test line with a bit of blue. It didn't mean I was pregnant (I'm not), so what do two lines on a Clearblue digital test that reads "Not Pregnant" mean?

It means that blue dye tests are notoriously confusing compared to pink dye tests and just because this one is digital, that doesn't take away from the fact that underneath the dye is still that tricky, tricky blue stuff that you can't trust unless it's blazing. While some internet detectives claim that Clearblue digitals test for luteal hormones along with hCG, the official Clearblue site only claims to test for the presence of hCG which is present during pregnancy. So I think it's safe to assume that if there's a faint second line inside your blue dye digital and the test is claiming "not pregnant" you need to trust it.

But what if I don't trust it?

If you still don't trust it hold off for 48 hours before testing again, and this time use a regular pink dye test like First Response Early Response that way, if you are pregnant your body has had more time to accumulate pregnancy hormones. These regular tests take less hormone to give you a positive result so they're more accurate for early testing.

And of course, if your period becomes late and your HPTs are consistently negative, it's time to ring up your doctor and ask for some professional advice.

How Common are False Negatives on Clearblue Digitals?

Can you get a false negative on a digital?

Yes, you can get a false negative on a digital test, although the chances of that happening are less and less the later you are for your cycle.

As explained earlier, digital tests typically test for more of the pregnancy hormone than traditional HPTs, so in theory, if you test before your period is due then there's a chance your test will read "not pregnant" when you're actually pregnant, but there just isn't enough hormone to confirm it on a digital.

Can you get a false positive on a digital?

Although there are accounts of it all over the internet, you have to be skeptical about claims of a false positive on a digital test. Digital tests usually test for more of the pregnancy hormone than traditional HPTs. This is to avoid confusion and to be able to know for certain that you're for reals pregnant. But what if a test turns up positive while other turn up negative or you get your period?

The most common explanation for this is a chemical pregnancy, a miscarriage that occurs early on in the pregnancy.

Can you reuse a digital pregnancy test?

No, and here's why - when you take a pregnancy test, you're essentially setting off a little chemical reaction with your urine. Once that chemical reaction has been completed, giving you either a positive or negative result, it can't be reproduced since the chemicals would all have to be put back at their original starting points to give you an accurate result. You have to use a fresh test each time you take one to get a true result.

What if you feel pregnant but the digital says "Not Pregnant?"

You could still be pregnant even if a digital test says you're not. That's because digital tests take more of the pregnancy hormone (HCG) to turn positive than a traditional pregnancy test would. If you're super early on in your pregnancy and very in tune with your early symptoms, you may know you're pregnant before the digital does. If this is the case, grab a regular pink-dye pregnancy test and try that instead.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. Drugs, supplements, and natural remedies may have dangerous side effects. If pregnant or nursing, consult with a qualified provider on an individual basis. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency.

Questions & Answers

Question: There's a rumor that the tablet in the test is a Plan B. What is the little pill thing inside a pregnancy test, really?

Answer: The little tablet or "pill-like thing" inside of pregnancy tests is most likely a moisture absorber - a lot like the little DO NOT EAT gel packets you throw away after buying a new bag or pair of shoes. These moisture absorbers ensure that the test keeps for as long as possible and isn't compromised by, say, a steamy bathroom or humid delivery truck before you're ready to actually use it.

The Plan B rumor is totally silly. A single pill costs around $50. If they were just hiding them away in $12 pregnancy tests that would be pretty nuts.

Question: Are Clearblue digital pregnancy tests reusable?

Answer: In a word: no. Here’s why: When you take a home pregnancy test, your urine causes a chemical reaction to give you results. If you take a test one morning, stick it in your drawer and then pee on it three days later, those chemicals that were activated the first time can’t just regroup, go back to their proper places and then re-react to new urine and give you an accurate result. That first urine has already caused the chemicals to have their reaction, so you need to use a fresh, unused test each time you take one.

The same rules apply to Clearblue digitals and all other digital pregnancy tests for that matter. Though digital tests have the added component of sensors that read your urine, they’re still made to only read a sample of urine once, and any additional testing after that just wouldn’t give you reliable results.

One myth that’s floating around the internet is that you can retake a pregnancy test once it’s fully dried because then the urine can reabsorb through the test strip. That’s not true! While the urine will probably reabsorb and travel back through the test just as it did the first time around, it’s not going to give you an accurate result because, again, the chemicals have already had their reaction, and they’re no longer able to activate from the fresh state they were in when you first unwrapped that test.

To make sure that you get an accurate result the first time you take a digital test make sure that you’re taking the test at the right time, in the right way. Read the instructions on the box before taking it. In general, when you’re using a digital, you should make sure you have a clean, dry cup to catch your first pee of the day. Then, dip the test into the urine rather than peeing directly on the test to ensure the test strip is exposed to the urine for the right amount of time and to avoid getting any moisture on the digital face of the test.

You should also only take a digital test just before or after your missed period since these tests aren’t as sensitive as traditional HPTs and need more of the pregnancy hormone “hCG” (which there will be more of the further along you are) to turn positive.

Question: I have taken a Clear Blue Digital Test today and got a ‘not pregnant’ result. I opened the test to find 2 pretty obvious lines! I’m not getting my hopes up, but what do you think?

Answer: I've seen instances where both lines inside the digital were really clear, yet it came up negative. When the person retested a few days later, the test did come back positive because the hormones finally had enough time to accumulate, allowing the test to be positive.

If I were you, I would take another test now. If this one comes back negative as well, I'd hold off on testing again unless your period becomes late.

Question: I took my Clear Blue test apart and opened it and it has a faint line. Can I still be pregnant even if it says "not pregnant"?

Answer: Chances are that the test's digital result of "not pregnant" is accurate. Unfortunately, all blue dye tests, including digitals, can end up with a very faint second line that you might be tempted to interpret as a positive result.

If you don't trust this test, I'd grab a pink dye test (I like First Response Early Response) and take that. These regular tests are a lot more sensitive than digitals, so on the chance that this faint line means you're pregnant, the pink dye will let you know for sure as they're a lot easier to read.

Question: When I hold the pregnancy test to the light, a vertical line can be seen. What does that mean?

Answer: It means you're seeing the indent line, or the space where, if the test had been positive, the dye would have pooled to give you a second (colored) line. Because you can only see the line when you hold the test up to the light, the test shouldn't be considered positive. You're simply seeing an indent that is always there.

Question: Can a ClearBlue Digital give a false positive?

Answer: No, it really shouldn’t. If you have a glaring positive on a digital pregnancy test, then the chances that you’re not actually pregnant are slim to none.

However, if you’ve taken just regular, plain ol’ pink or blue dye test and they’ve come up negative while a digital is saying “positive” that’s a little suspicious. Likewise, if you have other digitals coming up “negative” but a random “positive” on another digital, then it’s possible that there’s either a glitch on the supposedly positive test. Or, the more likely scenario is that you’re really early on and getting varied results because the pregnancy hormones haven’t properly built up in your body yet.

Give it two more days and try again with another digital to confirm.

If the digital is positive and you have a bunch of other positive tests too, then wake up, you’re pregnant!

Question: My ClearBlue test line is not as dark as the control line, but almost, and it's definitely very blue not gray. Could I still be pregnant even though the digital says "Not Pregnant"?

Answer: If you haven't already, test with a regular pregnancy test that you interpret with lines. Because the sensitivity on digitals is higher than early result two-line tests, it's possible the inside of your digital test is looking positive because you're pregnant, but you don't yet have enough pregnancy hormone to make that test actually say "pregnant."

Question: My Clearblue Digital said I was pregnant, but when I took four more tests, all were negative. I took my digital apart and there were no blue lines on the test strip at all. Could a faulty test cause this?

Answer: Oh no, that's terrible! Yes, a faulty test could cause this, but that's very frustrating. I would imagine at this point that you've taken more tests to confirm whether or not you're pregnant. It's possible that the four other tests you took gave you a false negative due to user error.

If you decide to take more tests, make sure to follow the instructions and to test using urine that's in a clean, sterile cup rather than urinating directly on the test. This helps to ensure that you're not oversaturating the test strip.

Question: My pregnancy test shows a light, semi faint line. It is ridiculous and gets my hopes up for nothing. I'm never buying Clear Blue again ever. Why don't the two lines register as a positive result?

Answer: I agree, blue dye tests, in general, are extremely frustrating. If you use a regular Clear Blue test (non-digital), a faint line doesn't necessarily mean you're pregnant. I know that they'll say it does but I've taken blue dyes tests before that developed a faint second line and I wasn't pregnant. I'm going to assume that this is what happens on the digital CB's as well. Why exactly it happens, I don't know, but the rumor is that this brand also picks up other hormones in the body (besides pregnancy hormones) and that's why the faint second line appears even though you're not pregnant (and why they tell you NOT to take digital tests apart).

Question: Is the tan thing inside a pregnancy test a pill?

Answer: No, it's not. It's likely a moisture absorber and would be dangerous to consume. Pregnancy tests react to urine which is a liquid - and they can only have their reaction once. So it's important to keep the test free of any dampness before it's taken.

Question: How early can the digital test strip detect pregnancy before a missed period?

Answer: This is so debated, honestly! From my own experience and research, digital pregnancy tests and their strips are not as sensitive as regular pregnancy tests.

According to ClearBlue's website, it's most accurate on the day of the missed period, and it should be 99% accurate at that point. This is anecdotal and not scientific, but in my birth groups, I've noticed that most women aren't getting a positive on digital any sooner than two days before their expected period, and many of them even have to wait until the day of or after to get a "YES" on the digital test.

Question: Can a positive Clearblue test be wrong?

Answer: Digital tests are pretty hard to misinterpret. If you have a digital test that says "pregnant" I'd trust that you're pregnant. If you're still unsure, take another to see if it's still giving you the same answer.

As for non-digital tests, these can sometimes look positive when they're not, especially if they're blue dye or you're looking at the test hours after you've taken it since an evaporation line can occur at this point.

Question: I have a faint positive on an internet cheapie but negative FRER and Clearblue Digital. What’s going on, am I pregnant or not?

Answer: I don’t know for sure if you’re pregnant. First, it’s important to understand that the sensitivity on different tests can vary a lot. So, on “internet cheapies” for instance, you might have a test that needs less pregnancy hormone than a digital test to turn positive. Of all different types of home pregnancy tests, typically digital tests take quite a bit more pregnancy hormone to say “pregnant” than the rest of the tests need to show a second line.

This means that if you’re very newly pregnant, the internet cheapie likely detected your pregnancy before your digital tests were able to. Give it a few days (I know that’s hard) and test again. If you’re pregnant your hormones will be doubling every two days, getting stronger and stronger so that your test line will darken. If it does, go ahead and try another digital until you get that glorious “pregnant”!

If the second line doesn’t darken or doesn’t appear at all, it’s possible that you’re dealing with a funky line on a less-than-stellar test. I hate to dis internet cheapies because I know many women swear by them, but they’re the only tests that I’ve personally received true false positives on, confirmed by more expensive tests and well, not being pregnant.

Question: My period is seven days late and I had a negative pregnancy test. Shouldn't that be enough time to show HCG if I was pregnant?

Answer: Yes, that should be enough time for most women. Keep in mind though that digital tests aren't as sensitive as regular pregnancy tests (the ones you just read by how many lines are present).

If all you've taken so far are digital tests, I would try a regular test instead and if that one is also negative you're probably just dealing with a late period or a month where you didn't ovulate. If you continue to miss your period, let your doctor know - sometimes they'll give you a shot to kickstart your cycle, especially if you're currently trying to conceive.

Question: I took a clear blue digital and got a positive but then it popped up the error book. I took a couple more and they were negative. So I took them apart and the positive one showed a pretty obvious test line and a faint control line. One of the negatives had a faint test line and a obvious control line. Is it possible that I’m still pregnant?

Answer: It's possible, but I wouldn't trust the digitals. It sounds like you may have gotten a bad box of tests. To be sure, grab a box of regular pregnancy tests. I always suggest First Response Early Response simply because they're easy to read and the pink dye is a lot easier to interpret than blue dye tests. Test with these and trust that result. Remember, digital tests need a lot more HCG to turn up positive than regular pregnancy tests do so it could just be that you're not far enough along from a digital test to pick up the pregnancy yet.

© 2018 Kierstin Gunsberg

Kaayah on July 25, 2020:

Loilrd

Veronica Velazquez on July 23, 2020:

I Have Other Tests That Are Super Faint Positives.. And I Took A Digital And It Came Out Negative.. Took It Apart And The Second Line Is Noticeable.. it Is Not As Strong As Test Line But You can See It Without A Wince..I Have An Appointment This Afternoon.. Hopefully We Are Expecting.!

Melissa on April 07, 2020:

I took a digital on the day of my missed period and got a “not pregnant”

Opened up the package and saw a very clear 2 lines. I took a pink eye test from dollar store and got a faint positive. Took more over the course of the next couple days and got very clear positives. There is hope ladies and I’m sending you love!

Hailey on June 04, 2019:

I have taken 4 digital clear blue test and all of them have line they keep progressing I am being told I am crazy by my boyfriends parents do you think I am?

Lindsay on June 02, 2019:

Thank you for this post!

I am a few days late after I stopped nursing and had this one digital left over from my last pregnancy. I opened it but the wick came out of the test with the packaging. Feeling determined I busted it open. Dipped the wick and then applied it to the same spot on the test strip where it sat when intact and boom. Positive. 2 equal blue lines. I am over the moon as our first son came after an exhausting and tear filled infertility journey.

Kierstin Gunsberg (author) from Traverse City, Michigan on March 18, 2019:

Ashley, that's a bummer but I know what you mean -the OB's in my area are hard to get into as well, especially if you're only in your first trimester.

Ashley Steele on March 13, 2019:

Wait it out for the digital there is usually a 3 month waiting period for a blood test here and until you can get that or test positive on their sticks which are not sensitve at all you cant get into an OB around here

Kierstin Gunsberg (author) from Traverse City, Michigan on March 12, 2019:

Ashley, that sounds miserable and definitely like morning sickness if you have faint positives on the pink-dye tests. Sometimes it takes a long time for the digitals to register. Do you think you'll go in for a blood test or just wait out the digital?

Ashley Steele on March 12, 2019:

I definately agree with how people are on baby center and when you google. Fortunately I am apart of a group and they embrace the crazy. I embraced my inner crazy today and tore apart a digital test because I wanted answers. I am 8 days late now. I have had 3 First response have very faint pink lines but my digital said negative so curiousity I wanted to see what it looked like. There are 2 lines in there, obviously but their both pretty clear its just the second one might be too faint to register. Comparing it with a few people that tested while they were pregnant its pretty much spot on. There's were also negative and it took a few weeks for them to register on their tests. Normally I don't go bat shit over this stuff but I am naseous all the time, but also stupid hungry. I wake up, I'm naseous, I cook the smells make me nauseous, I eat its like the most delicious things I have ever tasted but still naseous. Unfortunately, I cannot puke due a surgery in my early 20s sp what goes up has to go back down and I have been noticeing an increase of me "vomitting" at night. It is god awful difficult to get that taste out when it's in your throat.

Nolien on December 20, 2018:

I took a clear blue digtal test and showed not pregnant we opened mine up and my sister in law that is pregnant both have same lines

Carolyn on November 01, 2018:

I took a distal clear bule test and it was negative I took it a part and it was positive some one please give me a answer about this

Kierstin Gunsberg (author) from Traverse City, Michigan on October 17, 2018:

I highly, highly doubt she's pregnant based on the info you gave me. Digital tests, if not taken exactly as instructed can come up with the little book. If she had missed her period THEN I would be concerned but it sounds like you guys just bought a faulty test.

Anonymous on October 15, 2018:

My girlfriend started her period three days ago. Yesterday it stopped at 1:11 PM, and then started up again at 5 PM. We bought the pregnancy test about an hour ago, and it said not pregnant for a second, and was very faint, with the booklet showing up after (which said it could be an error. Now we are just waiting until she takes the other (simple) test, I’m really scared. Does it mean she’s pregnant or not? We always use condoms, she’s on birth control, AND I pull out before I come when we have sex. Please answer this ASAP, I’m 17 and don’t want this ruining my life.

Kierstin Gunsberg (author) from Traverse City, Michigan on October 07, 2018:

Ashley, I'm sorry to hear about your miscarriage. Thank you for coming back and updating. I know that for other women researching these things, it's helpful to know they're not alone.

Ashley on October 06, 2018:

I wanted to give a not so helpful update on my previous post from 2 weeks ago. I was a week and a half late for my period and miscarried two days ago. No other tests showed an obvious pink line so the semi faint blue lines that I saw on my Clearblue test may or may not have picked up on early HCG levels before miscarrying. Sorry that my experience didn't provide any clarity for anybody. I just wanted to update because I said that I would.

HopefulSoul93 on September 30, 2018:

Ok. So me and my man are trying. We definitely timed ovulation. My expected period is in three days. 3 days ago I took a clear blue Digi just like the one you show here, and it was negative. So I decided to take it apart to see the strip.(and I was curious what difference on these than a reg test on inside) and it definitely looked negative. One line. Well, today I took one, and it still said negative, but I opened it pretty well imediatley and there was two lines. Shiuld I assume low levels and just wait it out? I really want to buy a non Digi to see what it says but I've had so many false positives,(as rare As they are) yes it's happened to me a few time. May have been evap lines back then but it def didn't seem like it and they appeared right away. Usually evap lines have a grey color. These all didn't. Anyway. This test I took today has me questioning if I am now cuz I was convinced I wasn't. But my nipples are discharging and I feel a bit like I do last time I was preggers. (Had a miscarriage Nov.16 2017 ) so I'm already a wreck on the whole things and my nerves won't stop. I just want to know! I hate this waiting game. When I w as pregnant before I kept thinking I was gunna get my period because I had light cramps, which I kinda have now and have for 2 days but it's so light and don't feel menstrual. But the two are so similar it's hard to tell. Just want some advice and input. Thank you : )

Kierstin Gunsberg (author) from Traverse City, Michigan on September 25, 2018:

Ashley, there's nothing more annoying than feeling pregnant and not feeling like you're getting accurate test results. I hope you get the answer you're looking for and definitely come back and update. These "updates" can be really helpful for other women in the same boat.

Ashley on September 24, 2018:

I just wanted to say thank you for making this informative post! It's nice to see a definite negative and a definite positive on these tests. I just ordered mine from Amazon which I'm already aware is a gamble on legitimacy. I've had suspicion that I'm pregnant for about a week and a half now ("that" feeling, potential implantation bleeding, nausea, sore breasts, abnormal cramping, incredibly tired). However, all tests have shown up negative (I assume I took them all way too early - a few days after the potential implantation bleeding). I took a Clearblue Digital test today with first morning urine and it said not pregnant. I popped it open and two lines showed up, the test line being semi-faint but definitely there. I took another test (evening, obviously diluted, almost clear urine) and received another not pregnant. Again, I popped the test open and the control line on the evening urine test was VERY faint, though still noticeable.

I was expecting my period last night but it didn't come. I've decided that if my period doesn't come by the end of the week, I'll go to the doctor to get a blood test. I'll update once I get more info!

Joanna Harrod on July 28, 2018:

Well see what happened was i had a period on the 7th of this month and it lasted until the 11th okay i stop bleeding from the 12th to the 14th and on the 14th i had a very very light bleeding that night after that night i havent bled anymore but the other day i was sitting on the couch with my legs up against my stomach and i started cramping in my lower left abdomen so i was like something isnt right and i buy a test the first one said pregnant okay and so i took more to be sure and the rest of them said not pregnant....but today my stomach been feeling weird any way i came home and a while ago i decided i was gone take the tests apart to see how the things work and i seen the lines on all 4 of them...and only 1 of the told me i was pregnant

Does clear blue digital always have 2 lines inside?

What do the lines inside a Clearblue digital mean?

Are there lines inside a digital pregnancy test?