Studies included the following experiments: (1) determination of the sensitivity and specificity of the assay; (2) evaluation of different extraction media for bloodstains (sterile water, Tris buffer pH 7.5 provided in the test kit, 5 percent ammonia); (3) analysis of biological samples subjected to a variety of environmental insults; and (4) evaluation of casework samples. This immunochromatographic one-step occult blood test is specific for human (primate) hemoglobin and is at least an order of magnitude more sensitive than previous methods for detecting human hemoglobin in bloodstains. The entire assay can be conducted in field testing conditions within minutes. When in the laboratory the supernatant from a DNA extraction is used for the assay, there is essentially no consumption of DNA for determining the presence of human hemoglobin in a forensic sample. The data demonstrate that this test is robust and suitable for forensic analyses. Figures, tables, references