Be it bachelor/bachelorette party, April Fool's day, or Valentine's day, watch your partner's jaw hit the floor with the ultimate prank: a fake pregnancy test. Now comes the big twist in the plot: how to fake a pregnancy test? Read on to understand how a normal pregnancy test works and how to fake one.

Understand the Pregnancy Test

Here's a concise guide about the pregnancy test methods that are normally used.

1. What is a pregnancy test?

A pregnancy test is designed for the purpose of confirmation of pregnancy. It can also help in the approximation of the age of the developing fetus and to diagnose abnormal pregnancy.

2. How does a pregnancy test work?

A pregnancy test basically works by detecting the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) hormone in the body. This hormone is naturally synthesized by the placenta in a pregnant woman soon after the embryo attaches to the lining of the uterus.

3. Types of pregnancy tests

Two types of pregnancy tests are commonly available. One is urine pregnancy test, and the other one is blood test. Blood tests are done at clinics, but the urine test can be done at clinic or at home.

• Urine pregnancy test

A DIY urine pregnancy test kit consists of a strip, one end of which is colored and the other is marked with arrows. Although the test can be taken at any time of the day, the ideal time is to do it in the morning.

Normally, in order to test for pregnancy, a woman pees on the colored part of the test strip. Alternatively, she can urinate into a container and dip the colored part in it. After some time, colored lines show up on the strip.

All the pregnancy test kits come with the guidelines to interpret the results, but generally, if a single line shows up on the test strip, it means that the result is negative, which means that the lady is not pregnant. If two lines flare up, the test comes out to be positive, which means that the woman is pregnant.

• Blood pregnancy test

A blood pregnancy test measures the level of HCG in blood. It is done by withdrawing blood in aclinic. The blood sample is then tested in the laboratory for the presence of beta subunit of the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone.

The human chorionic gonadotropin hormone becomes detectable in blood as early as 7-12 days and in urine, two weeks after conception. The blood test is, however, more accurate as compared to the urine test for testing pregnancy.

The urine pregnancy test kits claim more than 99% accuracy; however, there is always room for error. Although blood tests are more specific and sensitive as compared to the urine tests, false positive and even false negative tests are sometimes yielded in different conditions, such as use of certain medications.

How to Fake a Pregnancy Test?

By now you must be thinking, "how do I make a pregnancy test say positive?” Calm down. You don't actually have to be pregnant to fake a pregnancy test. Here's what you can do to trick your partner into thinking that you are pregnant.

• Get hold of a friend who is actually pregnant

Ask her to pee on the stick. It is a fail-proof method as a pregnant lady always tests positive due to the elevated levels of HCG in her system. However, keep an eye out for the time as pregnancy lines on the stick tend to fade out after a while.

• Draw two lines on the strip

A simple and easy method is to grab hold of a pink marker and draw two lines on the results window of the strip. Voila! You have your very own fake pregnancy test ready. There is no danger of the test lines fading out, either.

• Heat up the test strip

Warm up the test strip a little. It will cause the antibodies on the test strip that interact with the hormone to disintegrate and yield a false positive test even in the absence of the hormone.

• Use an ovulation test kit

Another marvelous and fail-safe method is to use an ovulation kit instead of a pregnancy strip. Both strips look similar and both require being peed on. Ovulation strips sense the presence of luteinizing hormone (LH) in urine.

The tricky part, however, is to run the test at the time of ovulation which is the time at which egg is produced by the female reproductive system. Ovulation normally occurs 14 days after the onset of the last menstrual period. So if you're thinking about how to fake a pregnancy test with an ovulation strip, you have to be precise with your timing.

• Let the test strip stand for a long time

Pee on the strip and let the strip stand for some time. The lines that appear as a result of evaporation of urine can be used to trick your partner into believing that you are pregnant.

Bottom Line

This prank is certainly not meant for the weak of heart or for blackmailing purpose. In good spirit, however, you can use various ways to fake a pregnancy test in order to trick your partner into believing that you are pregnant and enjoy the priceless expression on his face. Don't forget to tell him that it was nothing but a joke!