The inquiry centers on whether a urinary tract infection (UTI) influences the accuracy of a pregnancy test, specifically leading to an incorrect negative result when pregnancy is present. Understanding factors that affect the reliability of pregnancy tests is crucial for individuals trying to conceive or monitoring their reproductive health. The accuracy of these tests hinges on the detection of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a hormone produced during pregnancy.
Accurate pregnancy test results provide vital information for early prenatal care and family planning. Misleading results, whether false positives or false negatives, can cause unnecessary anxiety and delay appropriate medical interventions. Historically, early pregnancy detection relied on less sensitive methods; modern tests offer rapid and relatively accurate results when used correctly. However, various physiological and pathological factors can potentially interfere with test outcomes.