Many organizations require employees to take tests for psychoactive drugs, although, some may see it as an invasion of privacy. Some of the hard drugs tested for are heroin, cocaine, and marijuana.
Drugs can often be detected in bodily fluids, but there has been some debate about whether illicit drugs can be transferred from one person to another through semen and make them fail a drug test.
According to a study done by Leah Klemmt and Anthony R. Scialli of the College of William and Mary in Virginia, certain chemicals in psychoactive abuse drugs can be transported in semen, but it remains doubtful if they could intoxicate a sexual partner. Their study, therefore, remains inconclusive and calls for further research.
Psychoactive Drugs
Psychoactive drugs are those that alter the mental state of a consumer. Employers will often test you for psychoactive two main reasons:
- They are intoxicants and can impair an employee’s thinking and judgment.
- The illegal use of drugs may invite unwelcome attention from law enforcement agencies.
Psychoactive drugs can be broadly classified as depressants, opioids, stimulants, and hallucinogens among others;
- Depressants help users to feel relaxed because they slow down the nervous system. They are commonly used in high-pressure or stressful environments. Alcohol is a popular depressant. Other depressants include Xanax and Valium, which are often prescribed for people suffering from depression.
- Opioids are prescribed for people with severe pain, but they are often abused for relaxation and euphoria. Common opioids include heroin and morphine, which are highly addictive.
- Stimulants increase alertness by increasing brain activity. They may also induce feelings of euphoria. Cocaine is a widely abused and highly addictive stimulant.
- Hallucinogens also referred to as psychedelic drugs; they alter consciousness and can cause delusions and hallucinations. Some well-known hallucinogens include lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) found in Marijuana.
- Marijuana or Cannabis does not fit neatly into the above categories because it has depressant, stimulant, and hallucinogenic properties. However, it requires a special mention because it is the most prevalent illicit drug in workplaces around the world. Cannabis also finds widespread use among artists, who use it to enhance their creativity. It is, however, addictive and may cause lung problems due to smoke inhalation.
Business organizations and tertiary institutions have several options for drug testing. The following are the most common screening methods one may be imposed to:
Urine Test
This is the most common test because of its simplicity and accuracy and it is also non-invasive. The THC from marijuana, opioids, and anabolic steroids can easily be detected by testing urine depending on the intensity and length of use. This is because it is testing for the concentration of a drug above a certain level
Hair Test
When drugs are metabolized, some of their residue stick to the hair follicles. Hair tests are therefore useful for revealing drug use over a longer period compared to urine tests. This test is also popular because it is simple and non-invasive.
Sweat Test
For this method of testing, a patch is provided to collect sweat from the body to test for recent drug use. It is mainly used to monitor recovering addicts. Sweat is easy to test but recovering uncontaminated patches may occasionally pose a challenge.
Residue Test
This is one of the more controversial methods of testing for drug use because it involves snooping. Testing kits are acquired that has a pad that can pick residue from a person’s belongings. The pad is then sent to the manufacturer to test.
Blood Test
Blood tests are very accurate and their results are more quickly available compared to other tests. However, it is not as popular as the other tests, perhaps due to its invasive nature.
Saliva Test
A saliva test is a good alternative to test for recent drug use. The saliva test is reliable for testing for drugs such as cocaine but is unreliable for other drugs such as cannabis.
Breath Test
Breath tests involve blowing into a hand-held device. They are mainly used along the roads to test for drunk driving. alcohol and drivers at large.
Semen and Drug Testing
The possibility of failing a drug test due to contact with seminal fluid from a sex partner is a matter of concern for most women. This is so because drugs such as cocaine are deposited in genital organs and their presence has been detected in seminal fluid.
However, the quantity of a drug that may be transferred from a 3.5 mL ejaculation during sex is bound to be insignificant.
Cocaine is one illicit drug that is commonly used for sexual stimulation. However, the presence of cocaine in semen has been studied but it has not yet been asserted that it can cause a sexual partner to fail a drug screening test.
In the case of oral sex, the quantities of a drug detected by a saliva test depend on how recent the sexual encounter took place before the test. However, taking semen orally is safe.
False-Positive Results
Some people may fail a drug test and blame it on a drug-using sexual partner. However, they should note that all tests have a margin of error.
On rare occasions, drugs may be detected by a particular test when in fact no drug was consumed. Such a case is referred to as a false-positive.
False-positive cases may be due to many factors such as contaminated sweat patches and the use of prescription drugs.
Conclusion
There are various categories of illicit drugs with diverse effects on the human body. Some have mild effects while others are dangerous and could be life-threatening. Numerous tests have, therefore, been devised to test for drug use.
However, one can be exposed to illicit drugs through prescription medicine and through the exchange of body fluids during sexual intercourse. This has raised concern about failing drug tests due to passive exposure.
But because drug tests are designed to test for concentrations of drugs above a certain predetermined level, the consensus is that the quantity of a drug in a teaspoonful of semen is inconsequential. The probability of failing a drug test from a sexual partner’s semen is, therefore, almost nil.
