There are basically five biological sources for drug testing. They are the hair, the saliva, the sweat, blood, and the urine. The urine is usually the best biological specimen for this purpose with the possible exception of alcohol testing with hair samples. Certain ester fats which are deposited on the hair with alcohol use are testable for up to eighteen months. Blood is not considered to be as good a sample because it requires an invasive procedure and drugs are not concentrated to the same degree as they are in urine.

The approximate times that drugs remain in the body are generally known and there may be specific tests to ensure this time length. Alcohol is present for 2-4 hours, amphetamines 2-4 days, barbiturates 2-3 weeks, benzodiazepines 4-6 weeks, cocaine 2-4 days, marijuana 18 hours-5 days, methadone 3 days, and opiates 8 days. Newer tests have much longer sensitivity to minimal formal traces of these substances. There are drug users who continually try to beat the tests. They can use home test kits to see if their urine is clean ahead of time. Some try to put tap water in the cup or drink 2 liters of fluid prior to the test to dilute it. Standard testing will, however, reveal a urine sample which is too dilute or not the right temperature. Some try to put Clorox in the urine, but this is detectable. Lots of “Head Shops” have commercial products to confound urine tests like “Urine Luck” and “Whizzies”, but a savvy lab tech can pick up on these methods and advise retesting. Often confirmatory testing is then required to directly observe the collection of the urine sample which is then subject to more stringent and precise methods of testing. Testing needs to be spontaneous with no fore warning and truly random to avoid any possible interference or preparation for testing.

DNA testing is abundantly used by forensic scientists to help in recognizing of an individual by their DNA makeup. DNA testing has been a valuable too for police investigators , paternity testing, courts, forensic testing, etc. Home DNA paternity test is an accurate tool to identify biological relationships between Dads and their children.

DNA sample collection is simple and painless. The most common and least invasive method for collecting DNA is with a buccal swab (which collects cheek cells). A sterile cotton swab is rubbed inside of the cheek in an up and down motion, for approximately 10-15 seconds at the same force used to brush one’s teeth. Another standard DNA sample for testing is a small blood sample, from a fingerstick; a similar method used for diabetes monitoring.

Did you know that with most Home STD tests you could collect a urine sample at home and receive your results in as little as 2-3 days?

WE firmly believe  that these tests could provide the answer to drastically decreasing the spreading of STDs. If we take Gonorrhea for example there has been a sharp rise of the number of cases in both the UK and America during recent years. In the UK reported cases are up over 40% during the last few years and in America reported cases are up around the same percentage. Cases of Chlamydia have increased every year since records began way back in 1984. What is worrying is that expert’s state many of those at risk are not being tested so the actual figures are very much higher.

Chlamydia is a tricky disease as in many cases the infected person will not have any symptoms at all. The statistics often show an unequal gender distribution, with more females infected than males. This is mainly because women are more likely to be screened during pregnancy and at other times of their lives ,whereas most men are never screened for STDs.

Even though we have great awareness of STDs, many do not bother to consult their doctor due to the stigma that some think is attached to having a sexually transmitted disease with men being the worst culprits.

To combat the “stigma effect”, STD testing kits are now available online. A good STD testing kit will require the user to send a urine sample by post to a lab. A few days later test results will be either send to the user or are available to be viewed privately online. This is much more appealing to those taking the tests as they do not have to meet a doctor face to face unless of course the test is positive.

Anybody who has unprotected intercourse should seriously consider either consulting their doctor or taking advantage of a home STD test. The simple fact is that if a STD is left untreated it will seriously damage your health.