Pregnancy Test Accuracy

  I have been on Ortho-Cyclen 28 for approximately four years.  My last two cycles have been extremely light and at times seemingly non-existent.  I contacted my OBGYN who suggested a quantitative blood test.  I took one on November 18 and the results were <2 and the nurse said that meant negative.
  Then, last month my period again was almost non-existent and extremely short in duration.  It has been seven weeks since I last had sex and my OBGYN suggested another quantiative test.  I took one on December 28 and it also came up negative.
  My questions are:  How accurate are quantitative blood tests to determine preganancy and how accurate are home pregnancy tests in comparison?
  And most importantly, what else can my lighter cycles be attributed to?
  Thanks for your help.

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Hi Jill
The quantitative blood pregnancy tests are extremely accurate.  The levels of HCG can be picked up at levels of 2-5.  A home pregnancy test will pick up hcg levels at around 50.  Your birth control pill may be responsible for your light periods.  Some pills do not build the uterine lining up very thickly so you have little to bleed with your period.  You could accept this as a side effect of this pill or change to another pill that is more likely to cause a heavier bleed.

This information is provided for general medical education purposes only.  Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific condition
Key word:OCP's and light bleeding