In PHP you use the === notation to test for TRUE or FALSE distinct from 1 or 0. 
For example if FALSE == 0 returns TRUE, if FALSE === 0 returns FALSE. So when doing string searches in base 0 if the position of the substring in question is right at the beginning you get 0 which PHP can distinguish from FALSE.
Is there a means of doing this in Python?
The strict equivalent of x === y in Python is type(x) is type(y) and x == y. You don't really want to do this as Python is duck typed. If an object has the appropriate method or attribute then you shouldn't be too worried about its actual type.
If you are checking for a specific unique object such as (True, False, None, or a class) then you should use is and is not. For example: x is True.
Python: False vs 0