A lesbian woman was stunned when she came up positive for a pregnancy test. Little did she know the road to the truth would be a bumpy one.
Reaching out to the AskDocs sub on Reddit, a 23-year-old lesbian woman revealed she was freaked out after testing positive on a pregnancy test. She was scared it was some form of cancer, that she was sexually assaulted or had sex and couldn't remember.
The original poster (OP) explained that she wasn't very sexually active but does sleep with a woman she's sort of dating about twice monthly. The woman she was seeing was born female or cisgender, and she couldn't get OP pregnant.
A couple embracing romantically with their foreheads touching and eyes closed | Source: Pexels
The last time the young woman recalled having sex with a male person was when she was in high school six years before. She explained that she was 5'3", 140 lbs, and generally healthy. She took Zoloft at times and sometimes used non-prescription allergy medicine to give some background into her health.
The Redditor started throwing up on occasion around a month before but didn't worry about it, thinking it was a stomach bug. However, when she finally visited a Tennessee clinic because she wasn't getting any better, the Redditor was told she was pregnant.
A young woman with a distressed look on her face | Source: Pexels
She tried explaining a pregnancy was impossible, but the staff that assisted her insisted she was. Since she didn't keep track of her period, she wasn't sure when it had last occurred. OP was due to see a gynecologist soon to confirm the pregnancy news, but because she was scared, she wanted immediate answers, adding:
"I've been reading that there are some kinds of cancer that can cause a positive pregnancy test, but I can't find a lot of information about them."
A woman holding her stomach and a pregnancy test | Source: Pexels
She wanted to know if anyone could tell how likely that was. The only other possible reason was that she might've conceived in November 2023 when she drank at her female friends' house, where a group of them had gotten together to watch a football game.
OP explained that she didn't drink and drive, so she decided to sleep on her friend's couch. The young woman also didn't consume much alcohol, opting to have around three drinks, so she didn't believe she blacked out. The friend whom she visited is a woman married to a man.
A man and a woman watching television together | Source: Pexels
Trying to get to the bottom of the matter, OP texted her friend's husband and asked him if they'd slept together, and she was too drunk to remember it. The confused man took offense and insisted he wouldn't cheat on his wife or sleep with someone too drunk to recall the incident in the morning.
OP wanted to believe and trust him, but she was afraid he might've sexually assaulted her and was lying. The Redditor also revealed that abortion is illegal in her state and was hoping someone could tell her what was happening and if there was another reason for the positive test.
Friends drinking, eating, and playing games | Source: Pexels
In an update, she thanked readers for their helpful responses, which left her feeling less panicked despite still not knowing the truth. She now knew it could be something else besides cancer or pregnancy. OP was now at her parents' home and feeling a little better.
Her parents offered to assist her in getting an abortion in another state if she was expecting. She also texted her friend and told her everything and the pal vowed on her life that she hadn't looked drugged but slightly drunk that fateful day.
A woman sleeping on a couch | Source: Pexels
The friend explained that she and her husband went to bed together while OP slept on their couch. OP's pal said there was no way her husband did anything without the young woman knowing. The Redditor was unsure but felt better and worked on not distrusting her friend.
Her parents told her that even if it was cancer, it wasn't a death sentence. OP's father planned to call to see if they could see a gynecologist the next day to get some answers. Two days after her last update, she was back with another one.
A woman getting checked out by a doctor | Source: Pexels
The Redditor said she found an appointment with urgent care, and her mother took her in. A pregnant test came out positive, but an ultrasound couldn't confirm the news. OP was taken to the emergency room (ER) because her results with an empty uterus constituted a swift response.
Their main worry was that a fetus might be growing outside of OP's uterus, and that is extremely dangerous. A transvaginal ultrasound couldn't find a pregnancy, but blood work revealed her hormone levels were very high, while her potassium and iron were low.
A medical professional taking blood from a patient | Source: Pexels
Staff thought they could see something on her right ovary and did laparoscopic surgery, leading to the whole ovary being removed after an immature teratoma tumor was found. OP didn't recall going into surgery or waking up but remembered being hysterical when she woke up.
She found out about the tumor later. A nurse told her they were talking to some specialists and getting pathology involved to determine if the tumor was malignant. OP felt she owed her friend an apology and was staying overnight at the hospital.
A woman lying on a hospital bed alone in her room | Source: Pexels
However, she still had many questions, like how long pathology took and whether it was the same as a biopsy. She also wanted to know if the tumor was the reason for her vomiting or something else. OP wished to know if the hospital would tell her before she left if she had cancer and if she was going to die.
However, she still has fears but felt Redditors helped a lot.
In her last update, OP explained that a doctor came to see her and said she'd misunderstood her diagnosis. The medical staff didn't say she had an immature teratoma but had the features of one. However, it was a teratoma, although it wasn't clear if it was mature or immature.
A woman being comforted by a doctor while lying in a hospital bed | Source: Pexels
Second blood work showed she still had a pregnancy hormone, but it was now less than half of what it was the previous day. The hospital was sure the tumor was causing it and also responsible for her vomiting. The doctor said they'd probably remove it regardless of whether it was malignant or not and not to keep worrying because she wasn't dying.
Having one ovary wouldn't affect her health, and she could still have children. A scan to look for other masses would be done before she left that day, and it would put her mind at ease. Her potassium levels were back to normal through an IV.
A medical professional looking through a patient's chart | Source: Pexels
OP spoke to her friends from the November 2023 sleepover, and they weren't mad but worried about her thinking someone else had hurt her. The Redditor also informed the woman she's been talking to, and all of that was on the right track.
Pathology test results were expected to take around two weeks, and if they came back showing cancer, OP would be referred to an oncologist. However, every two days, she has to take a pregnancy test for the next two weeks. If they come back positive, she had to call a doctor to find out what is going on, with her adding:
"This has all been very strange and surreal, but I'm very thankful that I was not pregnant and that if I have cancer, it is probably treatable."
A couple leaning in for a kiss | Source: Pexels
OP is grateful she isn't pregnant and that if it is cancer, it's treatable. She concluded her update by thanking those who answered her questions and reassured her in her time of need. However, she still has fears but felt Redditors helped a lot. Some comments they left included a counselor who said,
"Abdominal ultrasound will settle if you're actually pregnant or if something else is going on. If you are pregnant, they can date the pregnancy (approximately) for you to figure out when conception likely occurred. Please update us after your gyne appointment."
A woman going through an ultrasound | Source: Pexels
"I'm so sorry this is happening to you OP! Others have given you good advice about other possibilities. When you woke up at their place, were your clothes displaced at all? Were there any other males present that you didn't know? Did friend (wife) say whether she locked the door after they went to bed?" one person questioned.
Before adding, "I know your situation is incredibly scary. Try not to panic and spiral until you have more information. I'm so glad you've reached out to your parents, and they are supporting you. I'll be thinking of you and hoping you get the answers you deserve."
A woman holding a pregnancy test | Source: Pexels
A physician who replied to her post listed pregnancy, testing of the wrong samples, and a third "most likely" possibility for the confusing results, adding, "I have never heard of this but if your female sexual partner had sex with a male and got semen on her and then had sex with you, theoretically this could cause pregnancy. Parthenogenesis i.e. pregnancy without sex i.e. what allegedly happened to Mary. I'm curious, please let me know what they find."