Three pregnancies resulted in 29 pregnancy tests being taken between the years of 2005 and 2009. Over the years I've taken oh so many tests (yup we were trying for a long time prior to getting our first positive) so know how these little things work. With my first son I literally took 11 tests - just to make sure the two lines were really there and not just a figment of my imagination. I Googled false positives, reasons for positives, reasons for negatives and everything in between. I made my husband pee on the stick, I made my cousin pee on the stick (different sticks of course) just to check they weren't de-funked.
I tried every brand of test out there but always found the eBay flimsy tests (pictured above) were far superior. Yes, they were missing the fancy plastic holders but the actual test strips inside premium brands and the eBay versions are the same. I found my results showed a week and a half before Clearblue's early tests and two weeks before their digital tests which both showed negative while my eBay tests showed positive. Third time around I just stuck to the eBay tests - only ten of them that time though *smiles*
So, I read a story about a man that found an unused pregnancy test and as a joke (I mean he really just wanted to see how the damn things work - a joke?, I poo-poo that excuse) and was shocked to find it showed two lines. Two lines of course meaning 'pregnant'
Yup I know you're thinking defective pregnancy test or this must be a joke but the story is actually 100% true. It's made the rounds on national TV and I decided to test out the story myself - I've spent the last three days reading medical journals just to check what I'm posting is legit - it is. So how did a man make a pregnancy test turn positive? well, pregnancy tests look for HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) high enough levels in the urine lead to a pregnancy test turning positive.
Men also can make HCG as it's released by certain tumours such as testicular tumours. The original man who peed on that stick uploaded his positive pregnancy test to Reddit where he was urged to go to his doctors immediately, he did and unfortunately, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Here's a snipped excerpt from www.cancer.org website. I've highlighted where it mentions HCG. Of course, there are far more in-depth medical journals that explain it, let me know if you want those links.
Medical experts do say that yes, men make HCG in certain tumours but checking the testicles for lumps or growths should be the first step. The mean age for testicular cancer to rear its ugly head is from fifteen to thirty-eight years of age so taking action now is ideal. Normally a man or boy (given that it can arise from fifteen years of age) will go with a lump or odd change with their bits. They're normally checked and referred, this leads to a wait and then there are the usual scans, checks and blood tests. The blood tests check for HCG levels (and other things of course) just as they do when you go for a pregnancy blood test. Of course, we know it's quicker to pee on a stick and face embarrassment of it just being PMS and not an actual pregnancy.
Purchasing these tests was a quick way to get answers in the privacy of our home. Of course, if he had pain, lump or change in his bits he would be headed straight to the doctors but the HCG for some (not all) can be one of the first changes in certain types of testicular cancer.
I have purchased twenty - yes twenty super sensitive pregnancy tests from eBay. They're not expensive at only £2.20 for twenty tests including postage it's a pretty sweet deal. Especially when you consider how it 'may' just save the one you love's life. I know that we may go through the 20 tests and get 20 negatives - well I hope that's what will happen but over the years at least I can rest assured that he is safe. Peeing on the stick and checking his bits I suppose is the equivalent of females going for a smear, I know that it takes time and chances are it's always going to be OK but what if that one occasion begged to differ? I know I'd be so glad I wasted that time going - the same goes for my husband peeing on a pregnancy test.
The ones I purchased were from here.
Let me know your thoughts. Elyse
Statement: Nothing to disclose
Very interesting read x
ReplyDeleteThank you Beth, appreciate it. It's something I feel strongly about, I'm happy to announce his pregnancy test this month was negative *phew* x
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