Can birth control interfere with pregnancy test results?

Both a home pregnancy test and a blood pregnancy test measure HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) the pregnancy hormone. Since HCG is only produced during pregnancy (except in the case of very rare tumors), it is an extremely reliable sign of pregnancy. Obviously, home tests and blood tests differ in the way that they are performed, but they also differ in the amount of information they can provide.

No, birth control cannot interfere with the results of a pregnancy test.

Birth control pills, Depo Provera (the shot), implants, some IUDs, and the morning after pill contain hormones. These hormones are forms of estrogen or progesterone or both.

Many women are concerned that birth control could cause a false result on a pregnancy test. However, both home pregnancy tests and blood pregnancy tests measure HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). This hormone is different from estrogen or progesterone. Pregnancy tests were specifically designed to detect only HCG and not estrogen or progesterone and will not be affected by any form of birth control.