Urethral discharge culture

Alternative names:

culture - genital exudate; genital exudate culture

How the test is performed:

The opening of your urethra is cleansed with sterile gauze or cotton. A cotton swab is then gently inserted into your urethra about 3/4 inch and gently rotated. The specimen is collected at least 1 hour after urinating.

A culture of the exudate (fluid collected) is then prepared in the laboratory. Any organisms that grow on the culture are isolated and identified. The drainage may be examined on a slide under the microscope for preliminary results and confirmed by culture.

How to prepare for the test:

Do not urinate for 1 hour before the test. Urination will wash away some of the organisms needed to obtain an accurate culture.

Infants and children:
The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or any test or procedure depends on your child's age, interests, previous experience, and level of trust. For specific information regarding how you can prepare your child, see the following topics as they correspond to your child's age:

• infant test or procedure preparation (birth to 1 year)
• toddler test or procedure preparation (1 to 3 years)
• preschooler test or procedure preparation (3 to 6 years)
• schoolage test or procedure preparation (6 to 12 years)
• adolescent test or procedure preparation (12 to 18 years)

How the test will feel:

There is usually some discomfort associated with swabbing the urethra.

Why the test is performed:

This test is performed to detect sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea and Chlamydia. Often the test is performed when there is a discharge from the urethra.