Is it normal for hCG result to be more than 0 in a non-pregnant woman?

Question

Hello doctor,

My partner's last menstrual period was on 19th. It is eight days past her periods' due date. We had protected sex on 22nd and 29th. She now has cramps in her lower abdomen and also a pain in her thighs. But she is not getting her periods. We did home pregnancy test for the last four days and all of them came negative. Today, we did a beta-hCG serum test and it came that she has hCG level < 2 mIU/ml. We are concerned about this result. Is she pregnant and if not, why the hCG level came as < 2? We thought for a non-pregnant woman, it would always be 0. She is on medications for thyroid.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Your wife is not pregnant. This is for sure. HPT (home pregnancy test) is all negative, and the blood test beta hCG is also negative, which confirms the absence of pregnancy in both the uterus as well as in the tube. In non-pregnant females, hCG levels less than 5 mIU/mL mean there is no evidence of pregnancy. Even in males, we can detect this hormone. It is LH (luteinizing hormone) produced by the pituitary gland, which resembles hCG. The level of hCG starts rising after implantation. So, nothing to worry about. You can get her the medicine for withdrawal bleeding. She should continue her thyroid medicine.

Thanks.

Is it normal for hCG result to be more than 0 in a non-pregnant woman?

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