A false-positive test result is one that appears to detect a disease or condition when in fact it is not present. A false-positive test result may thus suggest that a person has the disease or condition when he or she does not.

For example, a false-positive pregnancy test result would be one that appears to detect the substance (human chorionic gonadotropin) that would confirm pregnancy, when in reality the woman is not pregnant.

By	Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer	E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine
Last Revised	June 9, 2009