Patient's question:
My period has been delayed by about ten days. I'm not sure if I'm pregnant, and the pregnancy test strips all show negative. Can the test strips detect ectopic pregnancy?Doctor's answer:
Ectopic pregnancy cannot be detected using a pregnancy test. In the case of pregnancy, a positive result for urine HCG can be obtained with a test, but in ectopic pregnancy, urine HCG will also show a positive reaction. Therefore, pregnancy tests cannot detect ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy requires an ultrasound combined with blood HCG testing to confirm. If your test is negative, you can confirm that you are not pregnant. Generally, a delay or advancement of menstruation by about seven to ten days is still considered a normal phenomenon.