Beta-hCG

This hormone is made by the placenta, the organ that grows in your uterus to provide oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. The placenta starts making hCG after a fertilized egg attaches to the inside wall of your uterus. Levels rise quickly in early pregnancy, roughly doubling every two to three days, then typically peak around weeks 8 to 11 of gestation before falling and stabilizing for the rest of the pregnancy.

hCG helps your body prepare for pregnancy by telling your body to produce progesterone (which thickens the lining of your uterus), telling your body to produce estrogen (which prepares your body for labor and helps your fetus develop), and stopping your menstrual periods.

Beyond pregnancy, elevated hCG can also occur with certain conditions such as a hydatidiform mole, choriocarcinoma, or some testicular tumors.

Your results will show whether hCG is found in your sample.

A negative result usually means hCG wasn't detected. If you tested very early after conception, your level may not yet be high enough to show up — repeating the test in about a week often clears this up.

In pregnancy, hCG roughly doubles every two to three days during the first weeks. A slower rise, or a fall in the level, can suggest an ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, or other problem and usually needs follow-up testing or imaging.

After a miscarriage, abortion, or molar pregnancy, hCG should drop steadily, with the level falling about in half every day or two. A level that stays high or rises again can mean some pregnancy tissue is still present and may need treatment.

Outside pregnancy, a high hCG can be a sign of a tumor that makes hCG, such as some testicular or ovarian germ cell cancers. Very high levels are unusual in pure seminomas and may suggest a mixed type of testicular cancer.

Some medicines, including fertility drugs, can cause a positive test even when there is no pregnancy. Talk with your provider about what your specific result means.