Many women have wondered at least once in their lifetime: Can you take a drug test while on your period? If the medical condition is not critical, you can wait a few days for the drug test. But during important health issues, the delay might become a concern.
Fortunately, scientific advancements have made it so that you don’t need to worry about the accuracy of drug tests even if you are menstruating. Menstruation is mostly influenced by hormone fluctuations in the blood and does not interfere with drug test results.
Drug tests can be conducted using various methods, such as testing hair follicles, saliva, blood, or urine samples. Regardless of the method used, menstruation does not affect the test results.
In this article, we’ll answer all your questions, like whether you can take a drug test while on your period, what a urine test is, why it is done, what to do before and after a urine test, how to prepare for a drug test while on your period, and whether menstruation blood can contaminate a urine drug test. So, let’s get all your queries addressed!
What Is Urinalysis?
Urinalysis is a just urine test used to diagnose different diseases like kidney disease, urinary tract infection, and diabetes. It can even detect the presence of drugs or other contaminants in the body.
During the test, the concentration, appearance, and composition of the urine are examined. For instance, if someone has diabetes, their urine may contain glucose molecules. In the case of kidney disease, the urine might lose minerals and protein molecules. And a urinary infection can lead to cloudy urine. By analyzing the urine, doctors can gain valuable insights into a person’s health and detect potential issues.
Reasons for Conducting a Drug Test
A drug test or urine test is conducted for various reasons, such as:
- Analyzing General Health: Urine tests aren’t only for medical conditions. They can be used in situations like pregnancy tests or drug analysis.
- Preparing for Medical Procedures: Before any medical procedure or surgery, a urine test is often performed to assess a person’s health condition. It is commonly done alongside blood tests when someone is admitted to a hospital.
- Diagnosing Diseases: If you experience symptoms like abdominal pain, painful urination, or back pain, a urine test helps in diagnosing the medical issue. It can detect kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, or blood infections. After initial signs, a urine test confirms the presence of a disease.
- Monitoring Health: For those with conditions like UTI or kidney problems, urine tests are essential in monitoring their health condition. It helps keep track of how the disease is progressing.
Urinalysis Procedures
When examining urine samples, three procedures are used:
- Visual Examination
In this step, the appearance of the urine sample is checked. The analyst observes whether the urine is clear, cloudy, or contains blood particles.
- Microscopic Examination
After concentrating the urine sample in a machine, it is examined under a microscope. The analyst looks for red blood cells, white blood cells, bacteria, yeast, parasites, and various chemicals, crystals, or organic molecules like glucose and protein.
- Dipstick Examination
For dipstick examination, a chemical strip is dipped into the urine sample. This helps determine the concentration and acidity of the urine. It also detects the presence of sugar, ketones, protein, blood, bilirubin, or any infectious particles in the urine.
Can You Take a Drug Test While on Your Period?
The simple answer to this question is Yes. You can still take a drug test during your period, as long as there is no blood contamination in the urine sample. The best time to collect the sample is in the morning when the urine is most concentrated.
Although urine and menstrual blood come from different outlets, there’s a chance of the urine sample getting contaminated with blood. Recent studies suggest that it’s better for women not to take a drug test while on their period.
However, if it’s urgent, you can collect the urine sample in the later days of your period when the blood flow is lower. To minimize the risk of contamination, make sure to clean the genital area with tissue paper before providing the urine sample. This simple step can help ensure a more accurate drug test result.
What Should You Do Before and After a Drug Test During Your Period?
When checking drug concentration in the body through a urine sample, it’s done at different levels. If you work for a company that maintains a drug-free environment, they will give you a one-month notice before the examination. This way, you have ample time to be aware of your menstruation date.
To collect the urine sample properly, follow these steps:
- Make sure the sample container is clean and empty.
- Clean the genital area with tissue paper.
- Try to collect midstream urine to avoid bacterial contamination from the outer part of the vagina.
- Check the color of the urine sample.
- If it’s pale yellow, yellow, or transparent, you’re good to go.
- But if it’s contaminated with blood particles, you need to take another urine sample.
If you find it challenging to collect the urine sample without blood contamination, you have two options. You can ask the technician to collect the blood sample directly from your bladder using a catheter tube. Alternatively, you can request to give the urine sample after your periods are over.
Frequent Asked Questions
Will menstrual blood affect urine test?
Menstrual blood can potentially affect a urine test, particularly if there is blood contamination in the urine sample. When performing a urine test, the presence of menstrual blood may alter the results and lead to inaccuracies.
Is urine test accurate during periods?
The accuracy of a urine test during periods can be affected by the presence of menstrual blood in the sample. Menstrual blood in the urine can potentially alter the test results and lead to inaccuracies.
Can you do a 24 hour urine test while on your period?
Doing a 24-hour urine test while on your period can be difficult due to the possibility of contaminating the sample with menstrual blood. If menstrual blood is found in the collected urine throughout the 24-hour period, the accuracy of the test results may be compromised.
Conclusion on Can You Take a Drug Test While on Your Period?
While some claim that performing a drug test during the menstruation cycle has no issues, there is a chance of the sample getting rejected. It can be challenging for the technician to conduct a visual test due to the presence of menstrual blood.
If you find it difficult to follow the tips mentioned earlier, the best solution is to request a rescheduling of the drug test for a time when you are no longer menstruating. This way, you can avoid any potential complications and ensure a more accurate and successful test.
