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hCG (Human Chorionic

Gonadotropin): The Pregnancy
Hormone

HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is o!en called the

pregnancy hormone because it is made by cells formed in the
placenta, which nourishes the egg a!er it has been fertilized
and becomes attached to the uterine wall. Levels can first be
detected by a blood test about 11 days a!er conception and
about 12-14 days a!er conception by a urine test.
Typically, the hCG levels will double every 72 hours. The level
will reach its peak in the first 8-11 weeks of pregnancy and
then will decline and level o" for the remainder of the
pregnancy.

Key things to remember about hCG levels

In 85% of normal pregnancies, the hCG level

will double every 48 - 72 hours.
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1. As you get further along in pregnancy and the hCG level gets
higher, the time it takes to double can increase to about every
96 hours.
2. Caution must be used in making too much of hCG numbers.
A normal pregnancy may have low hCG levels and result in a
perfectly healthy baby. The results from an ultrasound a!er 5
-6 weeks gestation are much more accurate than using hCG
numbers.
3. An hCG level of less than 5 mIU/mL is considered negative
for pregnancy, and anything above 25 mIU/mL is
considered positive for pregnancy.
4. An hCG level between 6 and 24 mIU/mL is considered a grey
area, and you’ll likely need to be retested to see if your levels
rise to confirm a pregnancy.
5. The hCG hormone is measured in milli-international
units per milliliter (mIU/mL).
6. A transvaginal ultrasound should be able to show at least a
gestational sac once the hCG levels have reached between
1,000 – 2,000 mIU/mL. Because levels can di"erentiate
so much and conception dating can be wrong, a diagnosis
should not be made by ultrasound findings until the hCG level
has reached at least 2,000 mIU/mL.
7. A single reading is not enough information for most
diagnoses. When there is a question regarding the health of
the pregnancy, multiple testings of hCG done a couple of days
apart give a more accurate assessment of the situation.
8. The hCG levels should not be used to date a pregnancy since
these numbers can vary so widely.
9. There are two common types of hCG tests. A qualitative test
detects if hCG is present in the blood. A quantitative test (or
beta) measures the amount of hCG actually present in the
blood.

Guideline to hCG levels in weeks during pregnancy

3 weeks LMP: 5 – 50 mIU/mL
4 weeks LMP: 5 – 426 mIU/mL
5 weeks LMP: 18 – 7,340 mIU/mL
6 weeks LMP: 1,080 – 56,500 mIU/mL
7 – 8 weeks LMP: 7, 650 – 229,000 mIU/mL
9 – 12 weeks LMP: 25,700 – 288,000 mIU/mL
13 – 16 weeks LMP: 13,300 – 254,000 mIU/mL
17 – 24 weeks LMP: 4,060 – 165,400 mIU/mL
25 – 40 weeks LMP: 3,640 – 117,000 mIU/mL
Non-pregnant females: 0 – 5 mIU/mL
Postmenopausal females: 0 – 8 mIU/mL

* These numbers are just a guideline – every woman’s level of

hCG can rise di!erently. It is not necessarily the level that
matters, but rather the change in the level.

What can a low hCG level mean?

A low hCG level can mean any number of things and should be
rechecked within 48-72 hours to see how the level is
changing. A low level can indicate:

Miscalculation of pregnancy dating

 Possible miscarriage or blighted ovum
Ectopic pregnancy

What can a high hCG level mean?

A high level of hCG can also mean a number of things and
should be rechecked within 48-72 hours to evaluate changes in
the level. A high level can indicate:

Miscalculation of pregnancy dating

Molar pregnancy
Multiple pregnancies

Should my hCG level be checked routinely?

It’s not common for doctors to routinely check your hCG levels
unless you are showing signs of a potential problem.

A health care provider may recheck your levels if you are

bleeding, experiencing severe cramping, or have a history of
miscarriage.

What can I expect a!er a pregnancy loss?

Most women can expect their levels to return to a non-
pregnant range about 4 – 6 weeks a!er a pregnancy loss has
occurred.

This can di"erentiate by how the loss occurred (spontaneous

miscarriage, D & C procedure, abortion, natural delivery) and
how high the levels were at the time of the loss.

Healthcare providers usually will continue to test hCG levels

a!er a pregnancy loss to ensure they return back to <5.0.

Can anything interfere with my hCG levels?

If you get a positive test result, you are most likely pregnant.
False positives are extremely rare. However, there are some
conditions that may cause a false positive, such as certain
types of cancer and early miscarriage. Some antibodies may
also interfere with test results.

Medications that contain hCG may interfere with hCG levels, as

well.

These medications are o!en used infertility treatments, and

your health care provider should advise you on how they may
a"ect a test.

All other medications such as antibiotics, pain

relievers, contraception or other hormone medications should
not have any e"ect on a test that measures hCG.

You are invited get our Free American Pregnancy Association

app: iOS / Android featuring a kick counter and other useful
prenatal wellness tools.

Readers of this article also found these helpful:

Miscarriage: Signs, Symptoms, Treatments and Prevention

Calculating Gestation Age

Concerns Regarding Early Fetal Development

Compiled using information from the following sources:

1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration

www.fda.gov

2. Bashir, I; Ihenetu, K; Miller, J.J.; Gim, M.; Lippmann, S. A

Positive Pregnancy Test in the Post-Menopausal Psychiatric
Patient — What to Think? Psychiatry (Edgemont). Feb. 2006.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990554/

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