If you're trying to get pregnant, chances are you've done your research, especially when it comes to pregnancy tests. There are entire forums dedicated to peeing on those plastic sticks at just the right time so it will detect hCG, the pregnancy hormone, in your urine without a false positive or negative. But some hopeful moms-to-be worry about other factors that could affect hCG levels. Since your sex drive is affected by hormones, too, you may be wondering, "Are my hCG levels higher when I'm horny?" But it turns out, your sex drive doesn't have a whole lot to do with your hCG levels.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, hCG is the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as the pregnancy hormone. It's produced during pregnancy and made by cells formed in the placenta, the organ that nourishes the fertilized egg and attaches to the uterine wall.
In shorter terms, it's not associated with your sex drive. In fact, your hCG levels will actually stop increasing at a certain point in your pregnancy. The American Pregnancy Association noted that your hCG levels will reach their peak in the first eight to 11 weeks of pregnancy before declining and leveling off the remainder of your pregnancy.
Worried about what could affect your hCG levels when taking a pregnancy test? Your libido won't be a factor. According to Mayo Clinic, a false negative is more likely to happen than a false positive, and it's usually the result of taking the test too early, checking the test results too soon, and having diluted urine. When your urine is the most concentrated (usually first thing in the morning), you can get the most accurate results.
Because an increased sex drive often happens in early pregnancy, the connection between hCG levels and horniness seems reasonable. But just because you're horny in early pregnancy doesn't mean your hCG levels will rise. And on the flip side, if you have high levels of hCG, that doesn't mean you should be ready to jump your partner every time you see them. Thanks to hormonal changes and extra blood flow to your genitals, many women experience an increased sex drive during early pregnancy. Plenty of women, however, experience the opposite, and it doesn't reflect on their hCG levels either.
The American Pregnancy Association noted that your hCG levels can be high if you're experiencing a miscalculation of pregnancy dating, a multiples pregnancy, or a molar pregnancy. They can also be low if you're having a miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, or a miscalculation of pregnancy dating.
So don't expect your level of horniness to affect the levels of hCG in your body. If you're pregnant, your doctor will check them and make sure they're at a healthy number. If you're not pregnant, chances are your pregnancy test will be accurate, so you can rest easy knowing that your sex drive won't influence those numbers in any way.
