More than 90% of bowel cancers are curable if caught early. Regular screening for bowel cancer can reduce the risk of death by 25%. More information can be found on our Why Test page.

Menstruation can potentially contaminate the faeces sample with blood. 5 days prior allows sufficient time to complete the test before the onset of menstruation.

• Red meat contains haemoglobin that can trigger the test causing a false positive result.
• Some raw fruits and vegetables such as turnips, broccoli, horseradish, cauliflower, cantaloupe, parsnips and red radish contain peroxidase-like substances that can interfere with the test causing a false positive result.

Certain medicines can interfere with the result of the test by causing gastrointestinal irritation and bleeding in some people causing a false positive result. These medicines include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) e.g aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, diclofenac, indomethacin, phenylbutazone. If you are taking any of these drugs, please ask your pharmacist or doctor for further advice.

A false negative result occurs when the test indicates no blood is present, when in fact blood is present. For example, this can be triggered by certain compounds interfering with the chemical mechanism by which the test works. To reduce the likelihood of a false negative result all restrictions should be observed and adhered to.

Doses greater than 250mg per day vitamin C (ascorbic acid) can stop the test becoming positive.

Certain medications can interfere with the result. If you are taking these medications, DO NOT stop taking them. Speak to your pharmacist for advice before making any changes to your medication regime.

• Inserting the cartridge into the reader switches the reader on. There is a 4-minute window in which to insert the sample. If the light has stopped flashing, this means that the 4-minute window has finished.
• Don’t worry – you can still complete test 2 and 3 and receive a valid result based on two tests. If the second or third test is not completed within the 4-minute window, no result will be displayed.

The cartridge must not have a sample inside when first inserted into the reader. If this is the case, that test will be invalid. Don’t worry – you can still receive a valid result based on the next two tests, if followed correctly.

The reader is designed to store results from each individual test and will only display a result after completion of the third Confidential test.

The test is designed to analyse all three tests before producing a result, increasing the chances of catching any intermittent bleeding.

• It is important that a test number should start flashing before inserting the sample. This is because doing so switches the reader on; if this is not the case then it may be that the cartridge has not been fully inserted. Push down firmly and check to see if a test light has started slowly flashing.
• If nothing happens, remove the cartridge by pulling upward firmly, then replace the cartridge into the reader.
• Should the reader still not switch on, please contact us on the helpline provided.

A green tick means that no detectable blood was found in your stool samples when using the Measure Bowel Health Test. If you are still concerned/have other symptoms that concern you, seek advice from your doctor/GP.

The kit is a one-use, triplicate test. Therefore, after a result is produced, no further testing can be done.

The guidelines are important to follow as certain foods can interfere with the result. Please follow these guidelines as closely as possible to ensure the most reliable result from your tests.