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How Early Can You Detect Pregnancy?

Few things are as life-altering as becoming pregnant. When a woman thinks that she may be pregnant, the worst part is having to wait to find out for sure. Today, there’s an entire industry built around pregnancy tests. These tests differ in how they work, as well as in the sensitivity and accuracy of their readings. This has led many women to ask questions like, ‘how accurate are pregnancy tests’, ‘can I trust the results’, and ‘how early can you detect pregnancy with an at-home test’? Let’s first look at how pregnancy tests work before addressing their accuracy and how early you can test for pregnancy. How Pregnancy Tests Work Even the earliest pregnancy tests worked by analyzing hormone levels. In particular, these tests detected whether or not human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was present. This type of test is still used today and operates in the same fashion.  When a fertilized egg attaches to the uterus, the developing placenta causes hCG to be released. The hormone t

How Long Does Marijuana Stay in Your System?

Determining how long marijuana stays in the system depends on a number of variables, unique to every individual and different drug testing techniques. Are you a regular user or is marijuana use something that you engage with just on special occasions? Are you fit or do you carry extra weight? Is the test performed using your urine, saliva, blood, or hair? Whether you are wondering how long THC will stay in your system because you have a drug test coming up, want to educate your patients or clients, or are just curious, read on to learn more. THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), the chemical in marijuana that drug tests measure, will vary in length of detection depending on the amount that is smoked, how often it is smoked, and the genetic makeup of the person. The only way to really know how long THC will be detectable in your body is to set up your own test. Marijuana is fat soluble meaning it is stored in the fat cells of the body. When smoked, THC enters the bloodstream within minutes.

Does Secondhand Marijuana Smoke Show on a Drug Test?

It’s estimated that nearly 100 million Americans have used marijuana, and 14 million do so on a regular basis. While you may not be one of them, a friend, family member or significant other may be. If this is the case and you are scheduled to take a drug test for a job, you may be worried about whether or not you will pass. People in this scenario often ask, ‘can you test positive for marijuana from second hand smoke?’ Can You Test Positive for Marijuana from Second Hand Smoke? In the U.S. 90% of drug tests are urinalysis tests. This means that a urine sample is tested to detect drug metabolites. In the instance of marijuana the metabolite is tetrahydrocannabinol, more commonly referred to as THC. If a subject has 50 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) or more of THC in their sample, then they will be considered positive for use. Tests verified that even after significant, long exposure to second hand marijuana smoke, a person is highly unlikely to reach 50ng/ml, therefore it w