Trigger Shot Clearance
When the hCG you injected is gone - so a positive test means what you hope it means.
A trigger shot is hCG itself — the exact hormone every pregnancy test detects. Test too soon after the injection and a positive can be pure medication. ACOG's 2026 clinical consensus notes exogenous hCG remains detectable for roughly 10-14 days after injection, dose-dependent. hCG has a short initial half-life followed by a terminal half-life of roughly a day, which is why clearance takes about two weeks for full doses and less for smaller ones.
“Testing out the trigger” — testing daily until strips turn negative, so a later re-darkening line means real pregnancy hCG — works logically, but it burns strips and nerves. The calmer path: wait until your clinic's scheduled beta, which is timed precisely so the trigger is gone.
Estimates here are population ranges, not personal guarantees — clearance varies with dose, body size, and kidney function. Your clinic's beta date always governs.