Yes, you can take a urine drug test while on your period. Menstrual blood in the urine has nothing to do with the drug test results unless it becomes contaminated in your urine sample.
It can be difficult for women when both their period and drug test shows up simultaneously. Well, if this is somewhat clear that your menstrual blood will not "taekwondo" your drug test results, many new doubts pop up.
One among them is - Can the period of blood affect your drug test results? The thing is we have the answers!
By the end of this read, you will stride into that testing room brimming with confidence, no matter what day of the month it is!
Table of Contents:
- Will Menstrual Blood Affect Urine Drug Test Results?
- Urinalysis - An Overview
- Can I Reschedule My Drug Test During Periods?
- Does Menstruation Affect the Swab Test?
- Can Menstruation Cause False Positive Results On A UTI Test?
- Pre-employment Drug Test Inconclusive Results: Is It Due To My Periods?
- How Many Days After Menstruation Can One Take Their Urine Drug Test?
- Ways To Pass Your Urine Drug Test During Menstruation
Will Menstrual Blood Affect Urine Drug Test Results?
No. Menstrual blood will not affect your urine drug test results. There will not be any alterations in the results unless there is blood contamination in the sample.
It is because the blood could affect the pH of the urine or introduce additional proteins or cells that might interfere with the test. This is relatively rare, and most women are able to provide a clean urine sample even during menstruation by using a tampon or by taking care to collect the sample mid-stream.
Urine is highly concentrated in the morning time. So, it is the best time to take the sample. If it is a period day, there might be a chance that the sample can be contaminated with blood. Even though the outlet of urine and the period blood are different, the sample is highly likely to get contaminated.
A recent study recommends not to take a drug test during your menstruation cycle. If there is no other way, it is recommended to take the samples on the first and second mornings of the period.
While collecting the sample, make sure the sample is not cloudy. You can use tissue paper to wipe/clean the genital parts before sample collection to avoid contamination.
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Urinalysis - An Overview
The term urinalysis refers to testing urine samples for detecting a wide range of disorders and drug traces. Urine drug tests may detect the drug metabolites in a person's system accurately and instantly. It is the standard method of testing both illegal and prescription drugs. Most people would agree to take a urine drug test because urinalysis can be cost-effective, painless, easy, and quick.
The 5 panel urine drug test looks for major illegal drugs like amphetamines, methamphetamines, PCP, THC, Opiates, and COC.
While your employer may use drug testing kits to conduct a preliminary analysis, he/she may use a laboratory-based 5-panel urine drug test to confirm your drug abuse.
This is when you could face a urine drug test
- If you are applying for the federal government or a DOT( Department Of Transportation) related job, you may have to take a drug screening.
- For pre-employment purposes, some companies may ask you to take a drug test.
- If the company adopted SAMHSA’s Drug-Free Workplace Program, the employees must take drug tests on notice.
- You may be tested for some other reasons like immigration, post-accident reports, and athletics as well.
Urine Drug Test Procedures
- If you are an employee working for an employer who has adopted the Drug-Free Workplace Program, you will get proper notice regarding the drug test date.
- You will be directed to a drug testing lab to take a test as a part of the hiring process. The lab technician and an experienced doctor might be present during the test.
- You may get an antibiotic-cleaned container to collect the urine sample. You should clean your genital parts before collecting the sample midstream of your urine.
- The temperature and color of the sample are tested to know whether the sample is fake or not. If it's not in the optimal temperature and color, you must submit another sample.
- You can get your negative results within 24 hours. Positive results may take 3 to 7 days.
Can I Reschedule My Drug Test During Periods?
It depends on your employer if you are tested for job placements. It also depends on what type of drug test you have been asked to take. But menstruation may not impact your urine drug test results.
Typically, employers choose urine drug tests over other drug testing methods since it is economical and can find various types of drugs with one urine sample.
If you are asked to take a urine drug test during your menstruation cycle, you may request your employer to reschedule or opt for another drug test, such as a mouth swab, blood test, or hair follicle test.
Some studies state that urine drug tests must be avoided during the menstrual cycle due to the high probability of contamination. But if you are pressured to take the test, no worries, you can still take the test for these reasons.
- A urine drug test detects traces of drugs or alcohol, which is done to check if any hired or current employee has been under the influence of the same. So blood tinges in the urine sample cannot alter the test results. On the safer side, you may also opt to use fresh tampons or menstrual cups before the test to avoid contamination.
- As already mentioned above, you can opt for other drug testing methods to test for the presence of drugs or alcohol. You may check with your employer if you can give other biological samples such as hair, saliva, blood, etc.
Can I refuse a urine drug test stating that I have periods?
No. You can inform the testing administrator that you are on your period, but it is unlikely that the admin may accept it as a valid reason to refuse a urine drug test.
The consequences of refusing a drug test can vary depending on the context.
- In a workplace, for example, refusal might be grounds for termination or other disciplinary action.
- If the test is court-ordered, refusal could lead to legal consequences.
If you have concerns about taking a drug test during your period, it's best to discuss them with the testing administrator or your healthcare provider.
Does Menstruation Affect Swab Test?
Menstruation will never impact your mouth swab drug test. An oral saliva drug test is conducted by collecting the saliva sample using a swab at the buccal cavity region of your mouth and testing for drugs.
Menstruation might have a slight impact on your metabolism, which in any case can reduce your BMR, but this will have less effect on your oral drug test.
So, if you are looking to pass your mouth swab drug test and wondering whether menstruation might affect your results, let's be clear, it hardly will.
Worried about your upcoming saliva drug test? This article on how to pass a mouth swab drug test will help.
Can Menstruation Cause False Positive Results on A UTI Test?
The cloud state of the urine during menstruation might affect the drug test results but it may not be considered as false positive. Generally, several factors could lead to false drug test positives.
For instance, some medications like dextromethorphan, diltiazem, metformin, labetalol, and doxylamine may appear as drugs on a drug test.
A study states that, during menstruation, blood levels will vary based on the stage of the menstruation cycle. It will not affect the drug test results. Although while collecting the sample, there are possibilities that the period blood could contaminate the sample. It could turn the urine sample cloudy. There are many possibilities for the sample to get rejected on a visual test.
As soon as the urine sample is handed over to the technician, the technician must measure the temperature and visually approve the sample.
The optimum urine temperature should be around 90°-100° Fahrenheit. If you are sufficiently hydrated for the past few hours of collecting your sample, the color of the sample could be pale yellow or transparent as water.
The technician often recommends taking up a drug test in the mornings. It should be concentrated, and the color should be yellow. The contaminated sample could be a bit muddy red. There are a lot of possibilities where the sample can be rejected in the Initial visual testing.
Pre-employment Drug Test Inconclusive Results: Is It Due To My Periods?
If you have recently taken a pre-employment drug test and received inconclusive results, you may wonder if it was due to your menstrual cycle. The answer is - it's possible but not very likely.
It could possibly be due to contamination of the urine sample. However, various other factors can cause inconclusive drug test results, including certain medications and medical conditions.
As mentioned above, periods have nothing to do with drug tests. However, it is not uncommon for women to experience false positives during their period.
In most cases, a simple confirmatory test will clear up any confusion. However, if you are concerned about the possibility of false positives due to menstruation, you may request a mouth swab or hair follicle drug test.
What Does An Inconclusive Drug Test Mean?
An inconclusive drug test means that the test results are unclear, i.e., whether it's positive or negative for drugs. Since drug testing is a precise, scientific process, drug screening professionals mark the unclear test result as inconclusive rather than assuming something and putting a wrong result down.
There are various causes for an inconclusive drug test, including intentional or unintentional tampering with the sample. Some people might add adulterants to their urine samples or dilute them with water to falsify the drug test. On the other hand, an inconclusive drug test may also be due to the testing procedure itself. The results may be indeterminate or incorrect if the samples aren't analyzed or stored correctly.
If a person's drug test comes back inconclusive, it is important to follow up with additional testing to determine whether or not drug use has occurred.
What Happens If A Drug Test Is Inconclusive?
If a drug test is inconclusive, it means that the drug test results are unclear or unable to be determined. Such events can happen for various reasons, including incorrect testing procedures, contaminated samples, or a false positive. In many cases, an inconclusive drug test will require a retest.
How Common Are Inconclusive Drug Tests?
Many employers demand applicants to take a drug test as part of the hiring process. Drug tests are also commonly used to screen employees for drug use. However, drug tests are not always accurate. False-positive and false-negative results are relatively common. A false-positive result occurs when a person is wrongly diagnosed as having used drugs. In contrast, a false-negative result occurs when a person who has used drugs is incorrectly diagnosed as drug-free.
Inconclusive or invalid results, where the test cannot determine whether or not the person has used drugs, are also possible. While the exact rate of inconclusive results varies depending on the accuracy of the testing method, it is estimated that around 5% of all drug tests are inconclusive. As a result, employers should be aware that there is always some margin for error when using drug tests to make hiring decisions.
Female Fake Urine Device - Is It The Right Option?
Certainly NOT. When it comes to clearing a urine drug test, many people turn to fake female urine devices. These devices are designed to replicate the appearance and composition of real urine, making them an attractive option for those who want to beat the urine drug test. However, you should know a few things before using these devices.
First, it's important to understand that most urine tests detect synthetic urine. That means that if you use a fake urine device, there's a good chance that you'll be caught. Second, even if you manage to fool the test, there's no guarantee that the results will be accurate.
Occasionally, incorrect results can lead to false positives or negatives, which could seriously affect your career or personal life. Finally, using a fake urine device is illegal in many states. So you could end up in a predicament even if you pass your test.
How Soon After Menstruation Can I Take A Urine Drug Test?
This is a common concern among women about the urine drug test post-menstrual cycle. The good news is that menstruation generally does not interfere with a urinalysis test.
If you are still concerned about potential contamination of the urine sample with menstrual blood, you can certainly choose to schedule your test for a few days after your period ends.
This can also be a more comfortable option, as providing a urine sample while menstruating can sometimes be a bit messy or inconvenient.
Usually, during menstruation periods, blood leaks can happen from 3-7 days. After the leak days, you can take a urine drug test. If your drug test appointment falls on the same day as your menstruation cycle, you can try to postpone the test date by reaching the technician and rescheduling it.
If it's not accepted, you can provide the sample. Menstruation does not affect the drug test results directly. But there is a higher chance of the samples getting contaminated with the blood leak. Your sample may get rejected in the visual test (color of the sample).
It is not a good idea not to attend your drug test during menstruation because some companies may fail you on a drug test if you don't show up. Most companies will get confirmations beforehand regarding the dates of your drug test. You can plan accordingly.
If the company is setting up a day without notice, you can contact the respective officials and make the changes on the dates accordingly.
Ways To Pass Your Urine Drug Test During Menstruation
The federal government has specific laws for drug testing. If you are an employee working in a drug-free workspace, you will be given at least a month's notice before the date of your 5-panel drug test. You can prepare beforehand for the date of the menstruation cycle.
Before collecting the sample, ensure the sample container is clean.
- Make sure there is no blood leak. Use tissue paper and clean the genital area and collect the midstream of the urine. This can eliminate any bacterial contamination caused by the outer skin of the VAG.
- After collecting the sample, check the color of the sample.
- If it is not contaminated, you are good to go. Or else, you have to take another sample for testing. If this collection method is not helping you, you can request the technician to collect the sample directly from the bladder using a catheter tube. The technicians rarely prefer this method to collect the sample.
- If the technician and the company permit you to take a drug test later, you can take up the drug test period-free days.
Final words
Although there are some complications in taking a drug test during menstruation cycles, menstruation does not affect the results. Your sample may not seem visually normal for a tester, but there is no way to avoid this situation, and it is perfectly normal. You may notify the employer and reschedule the drug test if it is not a suitable day for you.
Remember, your period is a natural part of life, not a hurdle in your health journey. Whether it's a drug test or a UTI test, don't let your cycle hold you back. With the right information and a little preparation, you can confidently stride into any testing situation.
So, embrace your womanhood, and let nothing stand in your way of taking charge of your health. After all, we're women - we're strong, we're resilient, and we've got this!"
FAQ
I have a urine drug test coming up at Labcorp, but I am on my period. Will I fail the drug test?
Not certainly. Labcorp drug test on period alone cannot make you fail a drug test. You may fail your drug test if you have drug metabolites more than the cut-off levels as prescribed by SAMHSA. Menstrual blood might induce visual doubts for a tester but it might not affect your urine drug test results.
How long does a drug stay in the system during menstruation?
Menstruation and drug detection are not correlated. You may test positive for certain drugs if the drug metabolites are above the cut-off levels.
The detection window for drugs depends on a variety of factors. For example, THC can be detected in urine for up to 30 days in chronic users, while cocaine typically clears from the system within a few days. Menstruation does not speed up or slow down the process of drug elimination from the body.
