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Pregnancy tests include a moisture-absorbing tablet, not a Plan B pill
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- Pregnancy tests do not contain an emergency contraception pill. Test manufacturers said a tablet is included in tests to absorb moisture.
Some social media users are posting videos of themselves cracking open pregnancy tests and revealing a "hidden pill" inside the tests. They claim these pills are emergency contraception pills that women can take to prevent a pregnancy after unprotected sex.
A Jan. 27 Facebook video starts with clips of various people discovering a tablet inside pregnancy tests. Then another person starts to open a pregnancy test and says, "I guess there’s like a pill inside of a pregnancy test."
At the end of the video, after cracking open the test, the person holds up a tablet and says, "That’s crazy."
"I found a hidden Plan B in a pregnancy test," the video’s caption said.
This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
Plan B One-Step is the brand name of the emergency contraception pill that can help prevent pregnancy if taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex.
Foundation Consumer Healthcare, the maker of Plan B, told PolitiFact that its pills are not included in pregnancy tests.
Featured Fact-check
The "hidden pills" found in pregnancy tests are not emergency contraception. They are desiccant tablets that absorb moisture.
Clearblue, a pregnancy test manufacturer, addressed this rumor in 2019.
"We are aware of videos circulating about Clearblue pregnancy tests and the tablet found inside. Clearblue pregnancy tests do NOT contain Plan B," the company said on Facebook and Twitter in 2019. "All our tests contain a small desiccant tablet which is included to absorb moisture and SHOULD NOT BE EATEN."
Clearblue on its website also said its pregnancy tests do not contain Plan B and warns against ingesting the tablet.
The man in the Facebook video opened a First Response pregnancy test. This company also has a notice on its website saying that all its test sticks "contain a small desiccant disc, which should not be eaten."
Our ruling
A Facebook video claimed pregnancy tests contain hidden Plan B pills.
That’s not true. The purpose of the small tablet inside the tests is to absorb moisture. It is not an emergency contraceptive pill.
We rate this claim False.
Our Sources
Facebook video, Jan. 27, 2023
Email exchange, Dani Kirsch, spokesperson, Foundation Consumer Healthcare, Feb. 1, 2023
Clearblue, Pregnancy Tests, accessed Feb. 1, 2023
Clearblue tweet, Aug. 6, 2019
Clearblue Facebook post, Aug. 6, 2019
First Response, Early Result Pregnancy Test, accessed Feb. 1, 2023
Agence France-Presse Fact-check, "Pregnancy tests don’t contain the morning-after pill," Feb. 11, 2020
Snopes, "No, Pregnancy tests do not contain Plan B pills," May, 10, 2022
Parents.com, "PSA: That is NOT a Plan B pill inside your pregnancy test," Jan. 11, 2022
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Pregnancy tests include a moisture-absorbing tablet, not a Plan B pill
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