Female Hormone Saliva

Before proceeding, please check through the following guidelines. Without taking these precautions your results may be inaccurate.

Continue to use your hormones as prescribed. You do not need to stop current hormone medication prior to collection.

1. Collect this sample on a Sunday or Monday ONLY.
2. If you are taking any hormone medications, please indicate this on your i-screen pathology request form as well as indicating the hormone type. E.g. Progesterone Cream, troche.
3. On the day of collection: STRICTLY AVOID caffeine, alcohol and nicotine.
4. During the 2 hours prior to collection: DO NOT eat, brush or floss your teeth or use mouthwash. You may drink a little water during this time.
5. Before collection: wash hands thoroughly with soap and water to avoid contamination.
6. Prior to sample collection, rinse out mouth thoroughly with water and wait a minimum of 15 minutes before commencing the sample collection.

1. Unscrew the lid of the collection vial and hold it to your lips.
2. Tilt your head forward and allow the saliva to naturally pool inside your mouth. Allow saliva to passively collect into the vial until you reach the top with liquid saliva.
3. FILL THE COLLECTION TUBE as best as possible to the top with liquid saliva. Avoid foamy saliva or 'bubbles'. Tap the tube with the fingernail or tap on a hard surface to reduce bubbles. Insufficient saliva samples cannot be processed.
4. During the collection do not cough, clear your throat or collect mucous from the back of your throat into the collection tube.

5. Once you have collected the sample, ensure that you screw the saliva cap on tightly to AVOID LEAKAGE IN TRANSIT.
6. Immediately after sample collection, complete the tube information by ensuring the details are noted clearly on the saliva tube (your name, date of birth, date of collection, collection time (including am or pm).
7. Place the completed collection vial into the sealable section of the specimen transport bag and keep frozen until you are ready to send the samples back to the laboratory.
8. Please note that saliva samples will be sent to the laboratory at room temperature and are not required to be transported frozen.
9. Place the i-screen completed pathology request form in the non-sealable section of the specimen transport bag.
10. Place the specimen transport bag which contains the i-screen pathology request form and the sample into the padded envelope provided.
11. Send your sample the same day via a Royal Mail Post Box or Post Office.