Fact check: Tablets in pregnancy tests should not be ingested and are not Plan B pills

Molly Stellino, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: There are Plan B pills inside of pregnancy tests

A Jan. 27 Facebook video (direct link, archived link) shows three clips of people opening a pregnancy test to reveal a small tablet inside the test.

“i found a hidden plan B in a pregnancy test,” reads the caption.

Several other versions of the claim appeared on Facebook in 2019, and recent iterations on TikTok garnered more than 30,000 views.

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Our rating: False

The tablet found inside pregnancy tests is meant to absorb moisture and should not be ingested, according to test manufacturers. Foundation Consumer Healthcare, which makes Plan B pills, said its product is not found in pregnancy tests.

Moisture-absorbing tablets are inside pregnancy tests

Two major pregnancy test manufacturers, Clearblue and First Response, released statements debunking the claim.

“Clearblue pregnancy tests do NOT contain Plan B," reads a 2019 Facebook post from Clearblue. "All our tests contain a small desiccant tablet which is included to absorb moisture and SHOULD NOT BE EATEN. If accidentally ingested please seek medical advice."

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The company shared that same information on Twitter. It’s also prominently featured on a section of its website about pregnancy tests.

First Response, another pregnancy test maker, has a similar warning on its website.

“All our First Response Test Sticks contain a small desiccant disk, which should not be eaten,” the notice reads.

A package of Plan B contraceptive is displayed at Jack's Pharmacy on April 5, 2013 in San Anselmo, California.
A package of Plan B contraceptive is displayed at Jack's Pharmacy on April 5, 2013 in San Anselmo, California.

Natalist pregnancy tests do not contain Plan B pills either, said Megan Koehler, a spokesperson for Everly Health, the company that makes Natalist tests.

“Plan B” is a term commonly used to describe the morning-after pill, an emergency contraceptive taken after unprotected sex. Plan B One-Step is a common morning-after pill brand.

Foundation Consumer Healthcare, the company that makes Plan B One-Step, told PolitiFact its pills are not found in pregnancy tests.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the claim for comment.

AFP Fact Check also debunked the claim.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: No, pregnancy tests do not have morning-after pills inside