Urine testing

• Urine tests are often administered randomly to high school athletes.urine test image by Keith Frith from Fotolia.com
  
  Urine testing is the most common form of drug testing used. Urine-testing compares testosterone and epitestosterone levels, and it might also test for other chemicals. Generally, any non-natural chemical with over 2 nanograms per milliliter of urine is seen as suspicious.
  
  

Head hair testing

• Hair testing for anabolic steroid use is less common than urine testing because of increased cost. Hair testing, however, is also more reliable because of a lack of reliable or affordable countermeasures on the part of the athletes being tested. A complex process prepares small hair samples for mass spectrometry.
  
  

False positives on tests

• Tests can return positive for reasons other than steroid usage. This can include the use of oral contraception among females as some contraceptives contain steroids such as norethisterone; and pregnancy changes hormone balances within the body. Some cancers and other medical conditions can also cause a false positive by altering blood hormone chemistry.