Making the decision to get tested for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is a big choice to make. Taking the option of getting tested at home is a relief to many. Today, there are HIV home testing kits available for you to insure confidentiality of your results.

Many people ask the question, "Why should you get tested for HIV?"

There are a lot of reasons that people get tested for HIV. Maybe you're sexually active and have engaged in behaviors that put you at risk of HIV infection. Maybe you're starting a new relationship and have decided to get tested together. Whatever the case, there are many reasons why you should consider getting tested for HIV. If you've had sexual intercourse (vaginal, oral, or anal) without a condom or you've learned that a partner was not monogamous, or you have been sexually assaulted. Sometimes condoms are not reliable and they break.

If you have been sharing needles or syringes to inject drugs (including steroids) or for body piercing, tattooing, or any other reasons. If you have had multiple sexual partners, found out that a partner has shared needles, learned that a past or current partner is HIV-positive, discovered that a partner has been exposed to HIV, had a recent diagnosis of another sexually transmitted disease (STD) or if you are pregnant.

HIV home tests can tell if you have been infected with HIV. When HIV infection occurs, the body develops antibodies to the virus. The HIV test checks to see if your body is making these antibodies. However, it doesn't test for AIDS. There are three different ways to be tested for HIV: a blood sample, saliva or a urine sample. HIV home testing kits require a blood sample, which can be easily obtained by pricking your finger. HIV home test kits come with a detailed instruction booklet with illustrations which will take you through pre-test registration and counseling; collecting your blood sample; shipping that sample to an accredited laboratory then calling back for test results. You have the option of post-test counseling and referrals. Your results will then be available anywhere from 3-7 days, depending on which HIV home testing kit you purchase.

A positive test result means that your body is making HIV antibodies. If the test finds antibodies, that means you are infected with HIV. However, it doesn't mean you have AIDS or will develop AIDS soon.

A negative test result means no HIV antibodies were found in your body. But, you could still be infected if you have been exposed to HIV in the last six months. Your body may not have produced enough HIV antibodies to show up yet. Consider getting tested again in a few months.

If you test positive, find a health-care professional who has experience with HIV treatment. The earlier you begin treatment, the more likely the virus will develop slowly, so you can stay healthy longer. Many HIV positive people live for many years without developing AIDS, but the odds are better the earlier you start treatment.

If you test negative, practice abstinence or practice safer sex. Use a latex condom during each act of vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse. Don't share needles or syringes to inject drugs or for any other reason. Remember, if you had unprotected sex or any other risky behavior that can transmit HIV in the last six months prior to getting tested, you will need to get a follow-up test in six months to be sure you are not infected.

HIV home testing kits offer anonymity because they use code numbers or names to identify your test. Your name is never used. You use the code to get your results. You are the only person who knows your results. With anonymous testing, you get to decide who to tell and when.

Teenage drug abuse is at an all-time high. No pun intended. Youth between the ages of 12-17 are being reported using illegal drugs If you are a parent, you know that teenage drug abuse is not an imaginary problem in our society, but instead is a very real, dangerous and quite far spread activity amongst teens. Unfortunately, to their child's detriment, parents sometimes like to delude themselves with the fantasies that a good private school, active participation in the church or synagogue's youth group program, strict curfews, and parental generosity will somehow deter their growing child from the dangers that lurk amongst peer groups, pushers, and the darkness of the dance clubs. Teenage drug abuse is a commonplace occurrence, and parents as well as caregivers need to be alert to the signs thereof, even in the most innocent of settings.

Frequently, you can hear teens making statements to their parents, "it's not like I am smoking crack" or "it's just a little pot, it can't hurt me". If you're suspicious about your teen's drug abuse or illegal drug usage, the best way to find out is by administering a teenage drug test from home.

If you're hesitant to attempt testing your child and suspect that your teen is abusing marijuana (aka pot, maryjane, chron, weed, herb, bud, dope, grass) there are simple THC (Tetra Hydro Cannabinol) detection wipes that you can purchase. These wipes can be used on any surface which your teen son or daughter may be smoking near, such as the walls of their room. If the test comes up THC positive, the next step would be to administer a drug test either through saliva, hair, or urine. If you're not sure what drug your teenager is abusing, there are Drug Detectors & Drug Identification Kits for Drug Testing available.

Not only can you test for THC found in marijuana, you can also test for other common drugs such as; cocaine (aka coke, snow, crack), ecstasy (aka XTC, X, Adam), opiates (aka heroin, codeine, opium, brown sugar), amphetamines (aka speed, whizz, amph, billy, phets, sulph), methamphetamine (aka speed, meth, chalk or in its smoked form, it is often referred to as ice, crystal, crank, or glass), barbiturates (aka barbs, downers, barbies, barbita, seconal, red devils, blue devils and yellows), benzodiazepines (aka tranks, downers, benzos), oxycodone (aka oxy, hillbilly) and phencyclidine (aka PCP, angel dust, supergrass, killer weed, KJ, embalming fluid, rocket fuel and sherms). Other drugs that teens may be addicted to and can be tested for are propoxyphene (PPX), tricyclic antidepressants (TCA) methadone (MET), morphine (MOP) and the popular LSD also known as acid.

Not only can teenagers abuse illegal drugs but they can also abuse and become addicted to prescription drugs found in your medicine cabinet. Commonly misused prescription drugs are Vicodin, Xanax, Valium, Adderall, Ativan and Fioricet.

The more that teenage drug abuse will continue to claim many victims, the more teenage drug testing kits will become popular. The most important step in helping a teen to avoid becoming another statistic is simply by not allowing rationalization of drug abuse to take root in the mindset of your growing child. Instead, children should be taught from the earliest years to take responsibility for their own actions, and thus many of the drug myths so prevalent in today�s teenage society will not find any more believers. This approach will not eradicate teenage drug abuse but it will close off one more avenue by which teens and their pushers have been able to delude themselves into using substances.

There are many pros and cons in the school drug testing debate that is a hot topic of discussion in schools and amongst parents, teachers and students these days.

Some say that the main purpose of random school drug testing is not to catch kids using drugs, but to prevent them from ever using drugs, illegal or not. Once teenagers are using drugs it is much harder for them to break their addiction. Maybe it's the issue of peer pressure, which is the greatest cause of kids trying drugs. If by testing the athletes or other school leaders, we can get them to say no to drugs, it will be easier for other kids to say no.

On the other hand, one of the fundamental features of our legal system is that we are presumed innocent of any wrongdoing unless and until the government proves otherwise. Random school drug testing of student athletes turns this presumption on its head, telling students that we assume they are using drugs until they prove to the contrary with a urine sample.

"If school officials have reason to believe that a particular student is using drugs, they already have the power to require that student to submit to a drug test," said ACLU-NJ Staff Attorney David Rocah.

The constitutional prohibition against "unreasonable" searches also embodies the principle that merely belonging to a certain group is not a sufficient reason for a search, even if many members of that group are suspected of illegal activity. For example, even if it were true that most women with red sports cars were drug users, the police would not be free to stop all women who drive red sports cars and search them for illegal drugs.

Students who participate in athletics, music programs, and after-school activities could increasingly be subject to random drug testing under a program promoted by the Bush administration.

There are some parents, teachers and school officials who are calling it a heavy-handed, ineffective way to discourage drug use that undermine trust and invades students' privacy.

In many workplaces and in the military, there's been drug abuse testing going on, but courts have ruled that public schools cannot impose random tests on an entire student body.

However, the Supreme Court ruled in 1995 that schools could randomly test student athletes who are not suspected of drug use. In 2002 it was ruled that all students who participate in voluntary activities, like cheerleading, band, or debate, could be subjected to random tests as well. Since then, the Bush administration has spent $8 million to help schools pay for drug testing programs. The White House hopes to spend $15 million on drug-testing grants in the next fiscal year.

There are about 600 school districts in about 15,000 nationwide that use drug tests, according to officials from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. White House officials liken drug testing to programs that screen for tuberculosis or other diseases, and said students who test positive don't face criminal charges.

Others believe that if parents would just take the time to talk with their teenagers about drug abuse and if they suspect their teen is abusing drugs, the parents need to take actions beginning in the home. There are many teen drug testing home kits on the market these days. If parents upheld their roles as parents, then teachers, coaches and the government wouldn't need to step in and push the issue of school drug testing.

Employer drug testing has become an important safety issue in the workplace not only for employees, but for human resources and safety professionals as well. It is estimated that over 98% of all the Fortune 500 companies conduct drug testing. The purpose of employer drug testing is to lessen the impact from drug abuse in the workplace. This includes tardiness, absenteeism, turnover, attitude problems, theft, deceased productivity, crime and violence. The US Department of Labor has estimated that drug use in the workplace costs employers anywhere from $75 to $100 billion dollars annually in lost time, accidents, health care and workers compensation costs. Sixty-five percent of all accidents on the job are related to drug or alcohol abuse, and substance abusers utilize sixteen times as many health care benefits and are six times more likely to file workers compensation claims then non-drug abusers.

Drug experts are debating on whether drug abuse has fallen, or drug abusers simply avoid employers that test and instead apply at companies that do not test. Either way, most human resource and safety professionals have found drug testing to be a valuable and cost-effective risk management tool.

When implementing a drug-testing program, policies and procedures should be established. Pre-employment drug testing is the most common type of testing program. Courts have consistently upheld the legality of requiring a pre-employment drug testing as a condition of employment.

However, if a firm plans to conduct post-hiring drug testing for current employees, then the employer should include training and education for supervisors and employees, as well as guidelines for discipline in the event of a positive test.

Post-employment drug testing includes random testing for safety sensitive positions, individualized suspicion testing, post accident testing, and testing that is legally required in certain industries, such as Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements concerning truck drivers. Each of these types of testing is legally sensitive, and an employer should have a program in place before starting.

Most drug testing is done by sending an applicant to a collection site, where a urine sample is obtained and sent to a certified laboratory for analysis. Negative results are normally available within 24 hours. There are also instant drug testing kits and alcohol testing kits on the market that are available for employers to use. These are similar to home pregnancy tests and require the employer to collect a urine sample. These drug tests and alcohol tests are considered accurate for immediate screening at the convenience of the employer.

Most employers utilize a standard five-panel test of "street drugs," consisting of marijuana (THC), cocaine, PCP, opiates (such as codeine and morphine) and amphetamines (including methamphetamine). Some employers use a ten-panel test, which includes prescription drugs that are legal to possess and use. Employers can also test for blood alcohol levels through alcohol testing kits.

Although each drug and person is different, most drugs will stay in the system for 2-4 days. For chronic users of certain drugs, such a marijuana or PCP, results can be detected for up to 14 days, and sometimes much longer. Sedatives, such as Valium, may stay in the system for up to 30 days. When the more expensive hair testing method is used, drugs can be detected for a 90-day period. To avoid the complications from "second hand" marijuana smoke, most labs will set a higher threshold before reporting THC in the system.

Testing labs have extensive procedures to re-confirm a positive test before reporting it. Most drug testing programs also utilize the services of an independent physician called a Medical Review Officer (MRO) to review all test results. In the case of a positive result, the MRO will normally contact the subject to determine if there is a medical explanation for the positive results. For example, eating poppy seeds before a test can result in a false positive for opiates. However, an MRO also knows that poppy seeds cannot cause certain levels of opiates, and certain additional testing can eliminate that.

There can also be tests that are "negative' but show an abnormal result, such as a "low creatine level," which can indicate an applicant attempted to dilute the sample by the excessive drinking of water or some other form of alteration. That is also a result that a MRO would examine.

Employers who conduct employer drug testing will find that a drug testing program will eliminate people with a drug abuse problem. Drug tests generally cost in the $50-$70.00 range, including collection of the sample, laboratory analysis, services of a Medial Review Officer, and communications of the results in the manner most convenient to the employer. Compared to the cost of even one employee with a substance abuse problem, most firms find eliminating the problem in the first place is well worth the time and money involved in an employer drug testing program.

Speed, meth, chalk. In its smoked form, it is often referred to as ice, crystal, crank, or glass. Those are all street names for methamphetamine (mAMP). Call it what you may, but meth use and its symptoms are one in the same. If it's taken in large doses, methamphetamine's frequent effects are irritability, aggressive behavior, anxiety, excitement, auditory hallucinations, and paranoia along with delusions and psychosis. Meth abusers tend to be violent. Mood changes are also common, and the abuser can rapidly change from friendly to hostile. The paranoia produced by methamphetamine abuse results in suspiciousness, hyperactive behavior, and dramatic mood swings.

Meth appeals to drug abusers because it increases the body's metabolism and produces euphoria, increases alertness, and gives the abuser a sense of increased energy. High doses or chronic use of meth, however, increases nervousness, irritability, and paranoia. The extreme paranoia that meth abusers can experience is often associated with a distorted tendency toward violence. Adverse consequences of meth abuse include the risk of stroke, heart failure, and prolonged psychosis.

Methamphetamine use has three patterns: low intensity, binge, and high intensity.

Low-intensity abuse describes a user who is not psychologically addicted to the drug and who administers the drug by swallowing or snorting it. Binge and high-intensity abusers are psychologically addicted and prefer to smoke or inject meth to achieve a faster and stronger high. The binge and high-intensity patterns of abuse differ in the frequency in which the drug is abused. While the binge pattern of abuse has seven stages within its cycle: rush, high, binge, tweaking, crash, normal, and withdrawal-the high-intensity abuse pattern usually does not include a state of normalcy or withdrawal.

"Tweakers", which are referred to those who are at the most dangerous state of meth abuse, is a meth user who is tweaking. This meth abuser probably has not slept in 3-15 days and, consequently, the symptoms would be irritability and paranoia. A tweaker does not need provocation to behave or react violently, but confrontation increases the chances of a violent reaction. If the tweaker is using alcohol, his negative feelings and associated dangers intensify.

Several hours after the last meth use, the individual experiences a drastic drop in mood and energy levels. Sleep begins and may last for a long period and, upon awakening, severe depression exists that may last for days. While users are in this depressed state, suicide is a major concern. These meth abuse symptoms occur after meth use and may be reversed by taking another dose of methamphetamine, thereby fitting the definition for a withdrawal syndrome.

Now, get out your pen and paper and take notes if you see these short term effects in your teenager or loved one. Short term meth abuse symptoms are increased alertness, sense of well-being, paranoia, intense high, hallucinations, aggressive behavior, increased heart rate, convulsions, extreme rise in body temperature (as high as 108 degrees which can cause brain damage and death), uncontrollable movements (twitching, jerking, etc...), violent behavior, insomnia, impaired speech, dry and itchy skin, premature aging, rotting teeth, loss of appetite, acne, sores and numbness.

Some of the effects that meth abuse has on the mind are also symptoms of meth use. These meth use symptoms are disturbed sleep, excessive excitation, excessive talking, panic, anxiousness, nervousness, moodiness and irritability, false sense of confidence and power, delusions of grandeur leading to aggressive behavior, uninterested in friends, sex, or food, aggressive and violent behavior, and severe depression.

After excessive meth abuse, there are long term effects as well, such as fatal kidney and lung disorders, possible brain damage, depression, hallucinations, disorganized lifestyle, permanent psychological problems, violent and aggressive behavior, weight loss, insomnia, behavior resembling paranoid schizophrenia, decreased social life, malnutrition, poor coping abilities, disturbance of personality development, lowered resistance to illnesses, liver damage, stroke and the inevitable, death.

There are also withdrawal symptoms that a meth abuser will partake in when coming off of meth or "crashing". If you see the symptoms of severe cravings, insomnia, restlessness,mental confusion or depression, chances are that the meth is exiting their system.

If you have been watching your teenager or loved one and your suspicians are pointing into the direction of meth abuse and you are seeing the symptoms of meth abuse, don't ignore them. Go with your instincts and in a loving and caring manner, let your teen or loved one know that you will help them seek the counseling they need to rid themselves of meth or any other drug abuse.. If you continue to see the signs and symptoms of meth use, you may either want to take your teen or loved one to his/her doctor or other medical professional and ask them to screen for the use of illegal substances. If you're not comfortable with revealing your suspcians to an outsider, it is also possible to screen your teenager or loved one in the privacy of your own home with home urine drug testing kits, saliva drug testing kits and hair drug testing kits.

Hair drug testing is a rather simple procedure. To start, you remove a strand of hair from your head or the participant's head. This strand is then sent away to a lab for analysis. There are various types of drug tests available on the market. The two most common types of drug tests include urine tests and blood tests. These are also very effective. The downside is that they can only detect drug use that took place within the last three days. Thus, it is possible for a drug user to quit using illegal drugs for a short period in order to pass a drug test.

But, hair drug testing is more effective of the five main types of drug tests. Aside from urine and blood tests, a drug tests may be administered by obtaining samples of sweat and saliva. However, the latter two tests are prone to inaccuracies. Taking a hair drug test is a quick and easy. way to test because hair drug testing can detect drug use up to six months, habitual and occasional drug users are reluctant to take this test. The drugs, which have been used, are encased in the hair shaft, which becomes permanent. The only way to not detect drug use is to cut or shave the hair. Of course, if you were to shave your head prior to a hair drug tests, this may appear a little suspicious.

A hair drug test is able to detect the five major drugs. These drugs include marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, and PCP. Failing a drug test may have serious consequences. The employer or agencies that administer the tests have different procedures. While failing a hair drug test will likely result in a denial of coverage with an insurance agency, employees who fail a random hair drug test may be allotted a certain amount of time to discontinue drug use.

There is a bit of a controversial issue on hair drug testing. Studies have found dark-haired people are more likely to test positive for drugs because they have higher levels of melanin, which allows drug compounds to bind more easily to their hair. Let's say a dark haired person who may have had some kind of environmental exposure to cocaine, but they didn't use the drug themselves. Like a police officer for instance. There was a case in Boston in which seven police officers all tested positive for cocaine. Six of the seven former officers had a second hair test conducted that came back negative within days of the positive result. All drug tests were analyzed by a different laboratory and all came back negative.

If you're a parent and are afraid to test your son or daughter for drugs, a home hair drug test may be the option to take. You can acquire a strand of their from clothing or a hairbrush and test them for long use drug usage. If the results come back negative, then they are none the wiser. But, if their test should come back positive, you can look to help them in getting over their drug abuse problem.

Testing for marijuana use is becoming more and more popular on the job market today. Not only for health reasons, but also for safety issues. For those of you who are not familiar with marijuana, it is a greenish-gray mixture of the dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. It is typically smoked in hand-rolled cigarettes (joints), cigars (blunts), pipes, or water pipes (bongs). The active ingredient in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is responsible for the potency and effects of marijuana intoxication. Over the past two decades, THC levels of marijuana in the United States have increased.

There hasn't been a formula discovered to compute how long it takes a person to rid their system of THC. There are only guidelines and even they are somewhat arbritrary.

When testing for marijuana use, it is determined how clear the THC is in a person's system by the following factors: frequency of use of marijuana, duration of use of marijuana, amount of marijuana smoked and the potency of the marijuana. Clearance of THC in a person's system varies from 10 to 90 days according to the usage of the previous listed factors.

There are five types of marijuana tests used on testing for marijuana use; a urine test, a hair test, a saliva test, a residue test and a perspiration test.

Urine drug tests are one of the most popular methods of random drug testing for recent marijuana drug use, as they are easy and convenient to use and provide fast and accurate results. Also, the big advantage to urine drug testing, is that you have the ability to test up to 10 different drugs at one time.

Hair drug tests are one of the most trusted methods of drug detection today. This method is not only accurate but even the smallest amount of drugs will show up on the test. A hair drug test analysis can provide a drug history from over a 90-day period and has consistently proven to be more effective than urinalysis and other methods in correctly identifying marijuana users. Hair analysis evaluates the amount of drug metabolites embedded inside the hair shaft by using a small sample of hair cut at the scalp.

Saliva drug tests provide fast and accurate results. This is the preferred method of drug screening at home and in the workplace and the saliva drug test can detect up to 6 drugs at a time, instantly. This drug test shows marijuana use and the residues of marijuana use for up to 3 days because the residues do not remain in oral fluids as long as they do in urine. Most saliva drug detection kits come equipped with a sponge, which is used to rub the inside of the cheek to collect a saliva sample.

Residue tests or drug identification tests are effortless and easy methods of determining what drug is being used. Simple wipes can be used on a surface of a table, desk, or an other surface where drug use is suspected. Law enforcement agencies and school officials now have the ability to test substances at the scene and obtain fast and laboratory accurate results.

Perspiration tests are also approved for testing for marijuana use. There are studies that have shown the value of detecting drug use through sweat patch testing. But, the major drawback of sweat patch testing is that the production of liquid perspiration varies with room temperature and amount of physical activity. So, the volume of perspiration collected by the patch during the week that it is worn is unknown.

There is nothing anyone can do to hasten the metabolism of THC before testing for marijuana use! Not drinking lots of water, no special teas or vitamin formulas.