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A Nigerian TikTok user claimed that any liquid can result in a pregnancy test strip showing positive.
At first, it was harmless, but on closer look, several other TikTok users began to believe this claim as it continued to generate conversation.
With the username irewolegodwin and about 334.8k followers, this viral video came with a series of claims concerning the use of Pregnancy Test ( PT) strips.
His claims were pointing to one single thing- that a pregnancy test strip does not reveal the pregnancy status of a woman, but rather that the strip can still be positive even when a person is not pregnant.
Could this be true?
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“If you put soap or bleach, it is going to read positive; they know, we don’t know. If you put too much urine, it is going to read positive; they know, we don’t know. E get some kind medicine wey you go use, even you as a man, if you piss dia, e go read positive”[sic]. These were the exact words of this Nigerian TikToker, wherein he made the claims.
In the video posted on January 31, 2025, he has gathered 48.1k likes, 1843 comments, 6133 shares and 4490 saves.
This Nigerian TikToker went on to add that even male urine can make a pregnancy test strip show positive.
We broke down the claims as follows
- If one makes use of Coke or soda on the strip, it would read positively
- If one makes use of soap or bleach, the strip would read positive
- If excess urine is used for the test, it would read positive.
- A man’s urine would read positive
How Does a Pregnancy Test Strip Work?
A pregnancy test strip works by detecting the level of hcg ( Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) in the user’s urine.
This hcg is the hormone produced by the placenta after a fertilised egg attaches to the Uterine lining.
According to its use, if the pregnancy test strip shows two red lines, the user is positive, and if it reads a single red line, the user is negative.
When does the PT Strip Show Positive or Negative?
A pregnancy test strip is positive when the urine of a pregnant person comes in contact with it and it shows two red lines.
A pregnancy test strip is negative when the urine of a pregnant person comes in contact with it and it shows a single red line.
If the pregnancy test strip doesn’t read any line or shows a line towards the tips immersed in urine, it is If the PT Strip doesn’t read any line or shows a line towards the tips immersed in urine, it is Invalid..
ROUNDCHECK Findings
Having established what a Pregnancy test strip is and how it can be either positive or negative. We delve into a practical verification process to debunk this claim.
Verification Process
This researcher bought samples of unused Pregnancy Test Strips for the sole purpose of experimenting with them using the claims by the Nigerian Tiktoker.
We dipped them into three liquid substances: Coke, Soap and Urine.
The pregnancy test strip dipped into Coke and soap came out negative, and the one dipped into excess urine came out invalid.
- Can Coke/ Soda Make a PT Strip read Positive?
Soda consists of water, flavourings, sugar or artificial sweetener, additives like Citric Acid amongst others, making it impossible for it to contain hcg. Practical checks, in which the result can be found below, emphasise that it is impossible.
The pregnancy test strip, when dipped into a certain amount of soda, showed negative.
This dispels the claim by the Tiktoker that a Pregnancy test strip shows positive when dipped into soda.
- Can Soap And Bleach Make a Pregnancy Test Strip Show Positive
Soap is made up of the following composition: Sodium Silicate, Soda Ash, Sodium Sulphate, Beizeme Sulphate, amongst others.
This researcher dipped a sample of an unused Pregnancy test strip in soap to test if the result would show positive, as the Tiktoker had claimed.
Practical checks, in which the result can be found below, show the impossibility of this claim, as the Pregnancy Test Strip, when dipped into a soap solution, showed negative.
Further research showed that the composition of soap can not make pregnancy-related test strips positive.
- Can Using Too Much Urine Make a PT Strip Read Positive
Practical checks on the authenticity of this claim show that the result obtained from the pregnancy test strip would be invalid. This is because the quantity of urine would make it possible for the strip to accurately determine the level of hcg in the urine.
Verdict
The above-mentioned claims are INCORRECT.
It is important that the above mentioned claim is fact-checked as it concerns a sensitive health issue, which is pregnancy. Misinformation, such as using coke, soap or excess urine, can cause confusion and decision-making based on fake information.
It arms the public with ample information towards making informed decisions, prevents the spread of myths and most importantly, retains the confidence in public health workers and services.
Tips on How to Effectively Use a PT Strip
- Use the first morning urine
- Avoid excess fluid intake before testing to prevent the dilution of hCG level.
- Follow the instructions carefully
- Consult results for professional confirmation from a healthcare professional
