Lindsay Curtis is a health & medical writer in South Florida. She worked as a communications professional for health nonprofits and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of ...

Stool samples can help doctors diagnose some health conditions. Tips for collecting a stool sample include urinating before collecting the sample and using any tools that the sample kit provides.

If you are having digestive symptoms, your doctor may prescribe an at-home stool test, in which you collect stool samples and send them to a lab or bring them to your doctor’s office for analysis.

At-home microbiome tests are having a moment. You mail in a stool sample and get back a report on your gut bacteria, along with personalized claims about your diet, weight, mood and even longevity.

A breakthrough in microbiome research could change how colorectal cancer is detected—no colonoscopy required. Scientists used AI to map gut bacteria at an unprecedented level of detail, revealing ...