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You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Obstetrics/Gynecology > ObGyn/Pregnancy issues > Possible Pregnancy
Expert: Dr. Harriet Johnson - 10/23/2009
Question
Hello, my question is related to a missed period. I started my last period August 17th. I visited my PCP the following week for a pap and to get an RX for birth control pills. I was instructed to start taking the pills the Sunday after my next period, in September. I completely skipped my period in September, so I did not start taking my birth control pills. It's now the end of October, and I still have not had a normal period. My fiance and I have had protected (condom) sex fairly regularly since August, but had completely unprotected sex about a week ago. At this point my period is a month late, but yesterday I started getting a spotty brown discharge. Today there is a little more discharge, but it is still brown and doesn't seem like a normal period. I've taken a HPT twice, and they both came back negative. Could I be getting false negatives, and if so, how long does it take for HCG levels to build up enough to get a positive test? Could there be another explanation for the missed periods and discharge? Thank you.
Answer
Hi Ashley,
It could be a false positive but these are very rare. Usually if you are pregnant your hormone levels should be high enough to detect when you miss your period, however it can take 2-3 months sometimes for women to get positive results. Go to your doctor for a blood test. Stress and being under or overweight can make you miss periods. Also if you are experiencing a hormonal imbalance this can cause missed periods and brown discharge, which is old blood. I advise you visit your doctor to determine of the cause.
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