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Key Details

Saliva must be frozen at least 2 hours Ship within 24 hours Do not eat or drink (except water) for 1 hour before each collection

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Considerations

• Consult your healthcare provider about stopping medications and supplements prior to collection.
• If there is visible blood in your saliva collection, discard and rinse the tube. Collect when there is no bleeding.
• Individuals on hormone therapies should not take hormones immediately prior to the morning specimen collection. Wait to take the dose after the specimen has been collected unless otherwise instructed by your healthcare provider.
  • As a general guideline, many clinicians opt to test patients approximately 8-12 hours following a dose. There are many variables that affect hormone levels with respect to timing of collection including dosing regimen, formulation pharmacokinetics, route of administration, site of administration, length of regimen, patient metabolic individuality, specimen type, etc.
  • Synthetic, non-bioidentical hormones are not detected by the assays and testing is not recommended for these patients due to questionable clinical utility.

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Preparation & Timing

• Collection is strictly timed. Refer to schedule below.
• Ship samples within 24 hours of the final collection.
• If you have difficulty producing enough saliva, press the tip of your tongue against your teeth. Yawning, imagining sour or flavorful foods, or smelling flavorful foods can also generate saliva.

For Premenopausal Women

• If the goal is to evaluate ovulatory function, collect specimens between days 19 and 25 of the menstrual cycle.

For Men or Peri/Menopausal Women

• Collect specimens on any day.

1 Hour Before Collection

• Do not eat, drink anything except water, brush or floss your teeth, use mouthwash, apply lip balm, chew gum, or use any tobacco products.

Night Before Early Morning Collection

• Place the numbered collection tube beside your bed.
• Place a glass of water beside your bed.
• Ensure you have a low-level light beside your bed. DO NOT turn on a bright light in the morning prior to collecting.

Saliva Collection Schedule

Collection Window		Label Number
Morning (upon waking)	7:00am to 9:00am	1
Midday	11:00am to 1:00pm	2
Afternoon	3:00pm to 5:00pm	3
Evening	10:00pm to Midnight	4
Early Next Morning	2:30am to 3:30am	5

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Before You Collect

1. Write your date of birth and the date and time of collection on the provided labels.
2. Place a completed label, numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, on the tubes.

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Saliva Collection

1. Rinse your mouth with drinking water. Spit out the water completely.
2. Fill the collection tube with saliva until it reaches the 3-ml mark.
   • Tap the tube on a hard surface to remove bubbles.
   • Do not cough or clear your throat into the tube.
3. Replace the cap tightly.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each collection using the Saliva Collection Schedule above.
5. As you complete each tube, place it into the biohazard bag and freeze immediately. Each sample must be frozen a minimum of 2 hours prior to shipping. Keep frozen until ready to ship.