A method for isolating a human target nucleic acid from a human stool sample, the method comprising: a) removing an assay inhibitor from said stool sample to produce a clarified sample preparation, wherein removing said assay inhibitor from said sample comprises: a1) homogenizing said stool sample to produce a homogenate; a2) centrifuging said homogenate to produce a supernatant; a3) treating said supernatant with an insoluble polyvinylpyrrolidone to bind inhibitor, if present, in an inhibitor complex; and a4) isolating said inhibitor complex from said supernatant to produce a clarified sample preparation; b) capturing said target nucleic acid from said clarified sample preparation with a target-specific capture reagent to form a capture complex wherein capturing said target nucleic acid comprises: b1) exposing said clarified sample preparation to a denaturing condition to produce a denatured sample; and b2) binding said target nucleic acid to a target-specific capture reagent to form a capture complex, wherein said target specific capture reagent comprises an oligonucleotide covalently attached to a magnetic particle, the oligonucleotide complementary to at least a portion of said target nucleic acid; b3) isolating said capture complex from the clarified sample preparation; and b4) recovering said target nucleic acid from said capture complex in a nucleic acid solution. a) removing an assay inhibitor from said stool sample to produce a clarified sample preparation, wherein removing said assay inhibitor from said sample comprises: a1) homogenizing said stool sample to produce a homogenate; a2) centrifuging said homogenate to produce a supernatant; a3) treating said supernatant with an insoluble polyvinylpyrrolidone to bind inhibitor, if present, in an inhibitor complex; and a4) isolating said inhibitor complex from said supernatant to produce a clarified sample preparation; a1) homogenizing said stool sample to produce a homogenate; a2) centrifuging said homogenate to produce a supernatant; a3) treating said supernatant with an insoluble polyvinylpyrrolidone to bind inhibitor, if present, in an inhibitor complex; and a4) isolating said inhibitor complex from said supernatant to produce a clarified sample preparation; b) capturing said target nucleic acid from said clarified sample preparation with a target-specific capture reagent to form a capture complex wherein capturing said target nucleic acid comprises: b1) exposing said clarified sample preparation to a denaturing condition to produce a denatured sample; and b2) binding said target nucleic acid to a target-specific capture reagent to form a capture complex, wherein said target specific capture reagent comprises an oligonucleotide covalently attached to a magnetic particle, the oligonucleotide complementary to at least a portion of said target nucleic acid; b3) isolating said capture complex from the clarified sample preparation; and b4) recovering said target nucleic acid from said capture complex in a nucleic acid solution. b1) exposing said clarified sample preparation to a denaturing condition to produce a denatured sample; and b2) binding said target nucleic acid to a target-specific capture reagent to form a capture complex, wherein said target specific capture reagent comprises an oligonucleotide covalently attached to a magnetic particle, the oligonucleotide complementary to at least a portion of said target nucleic acid; b3) isolating said capture complex from the clarified sample preparation; and b4) recovering said target nucleic acid from said capture complex in a nucleic acid solution.