Abortion
Day 20 after abortion: why is the pregnancy test still positive?
Day 20 · Recovery after abortion
Buying a test from the pharmacy on day twenty and seeing two lines can be worrying. The first question that comes to mind is whether the procedure was incomplete.
This result has a known explanation: the test looks for the pregnancy hormone, and that hormone does not leave the body in a day. Below you will find why the test can stay positive, how it is known that the procedure was complete, and when you should call the clinic.
Short answer
Why is the pregnancy test still positive after an abortion?
A home pregnancy test can be positive after an abortion, because the pregnancy hormone (beta hCG) does not drop straight away. Depending on the week of the ended pregnancy, the test can stay positive for about 15–20 days, sometimes up to 4–6 weeks; in the first 15 days the test is misleading. If the test is still positive after three weeks, or the line is getting darker, call SoftCare Clinic.
Hormones and the first period
The pregnancy hormone (hCG) falls gradually after the procedure; the test can look positive until the hormone has dropped enough.
On a line from the procedure day to the sixth week, a steadily falling hCG curve and, under the curve, a shaded area where the home test can stay positive.How many days is a pregnancy test positive after an abortion?
According to our clinic's doctor, the time depends on the week of the ended pregnancy: the test can be positive for about 15–20 days, and in some women it can stay positive for up to 4–6 weeks. Day twenty is within this range.
The hormone starts to fall after the procedure, but it takes time to drop to a level the test cannot detect. That is why a test done in the first fifteen days is misleading; two lines seen in those days do not show that the pregnancy is continuing.
How is it known that the procedure was complete?
At SoftCare Clinic, the doctor checks completeness during the procedure with ultrasound and by hand; after the procedure another detailed ultrasound check is done. The assessment is based on these checks, not on a home test done later.
That is why there is no routine check-up day at the clinic and most patients need no further check-up. Patients who want one or need one are invited free of charge; if considered necessary, an ultrasound and tests are done.
Should I do a pregnancy test at home?
The clinic's rules contain no item asking everyone to test at home. A test comes into question if there was unprotected sex: in that case you start one week after the sex and interpret the result together with the doctor.
If you have already done the test, note its date and result; do not try to interpret the line on your own.
When should I call the clinic?
The rule has two points: if the test is still positive even though three weeks have passed since the procedure, or if the line gets darker rather than lighter in consecutive tests, call the clinic. Three weeks are up tomorrow; if a test you do after that is also positive, report the result to the clinic.
Do today
- Note the day you did the test and the result.
- Report a positive result that continues after three weeks to the clinic.
- Keep using condoms until the first period.
Don't do today
- Do not conclude from a single positive test that the procedure failed.
- Do not test every day and compare the lines.
- Do not stop using condoms based on the test result.
Special note
If the test line is getting darker
If the line gets darker rather than lighter in consecutive tests, call the clinic without waiting for three weeks to pass. Do not try to interpret the colour of the line at home; your doctor makes the assessment and, if considered necessary, does an ultrasound and tests.
Special note
If you cannot come to the clinic
If you are in another city or country, a video consultation can be arranged for the check-up. If a test is needed, it is arranged through the clinic's partner laboratory; your doctor assesses the result with you during the consultation.
When should you call?
Call 112 first (if you are abroad, that country's emergency number)
- Fainting: If you faint, call 112 first; if you are abroad, call the emergency number of the country you are in.
Call the clinic straight away
- Heavy bleeding: Soaking 2–3 pads within one hour. A total of 2–3 pads over the whole day is normal.
- Fever: A temperature of 38 °C or higher, or fever together with weakness.
- Severe pain: Severe abdominal or back pain that does not ease with painkillers.
- Foul-smelling discharge: Unusual, foul-smelling vaginal discharge.
- Large clot: Passing a clot the size of a golf ball.
Call the clinic
- If the test is still positive after three weeks, call the clinic.
- If the line gets darker in consecutive tests, let the clinic know.
- Dizziness or shivering: Dizziness, chills and shivering that do not pass.
- Hard abdomen: The abdomen becoming hard, or clear tenderness when touched.
- Burning on urination: Burning or stinging when passing urine.
SoftCare Clinic patients can reach the doctor's assistant or a nurse 24 hours a day; when needed, they contact the doctor. Call whenever you are unsure; what your own doctor tells you always comes first.
Frequently asked questions
What does a positive test 3 weeks after an abortion mean?
Because the pregnancy hormone (beta hCG) does not drop straight away, a home test can stay positive for about 15–20 days after an abortion, sometimes up to 4–6 weeks. Still, SoftCare Clinic's rule is clear: if the test is still positive after three weeks, call the clinic. The doctor assesses the result; if considered necessary, an ultrasound and tests are done.
How can you tell if an abortion has failed?
At SoftCare Clinic, the doctor checks during the procedure with ultrasound and by hand that it is complete; after the procedure a detailed ultrasound check is done. A home test is misleading in the first 15 days and is not a measure here. A positive test continuing after three weeks, or a darkening line, is reported to the clinic.
When does a pregnancy test turn negative after an abortion?
A single day cannot be given; the time varies with the week of the ended pregnancy. According to our clinic's doctor, the test can be positive for about 15–20 days and can stay positive for up to 4–6 weeks. If you still see two lines after the third week, call the clinic; you will assess the result together with your doctor.
Sources
SoftCare Clinic for your questions
Our patients can reach a nurse and the doctor's assistant 24 hours a day.
This page is for general information; it does not replace an examination or your doctor's advice. Every woman recovers differently. The times and rules your doctor gives you always take priority over those on this page.
Medically reviewed by Op. Dr. Şükrü Sanus, Obstetrician & Gynecologist · Last medical review: