Urethral swab

Excuse my ignorance, but for those with medical training, under what circumstances is a urethral swab undertaken? How is it performed?

Urethral swabs are typically taken to culture bacteria in the genito-urinary tracts, most often when an STD is suspected.

It is performed by taking a Q-Tip swab and inserting it a couple of inches inside the urethra.

Hey just want to say, never apologize for asking a question...you never know how many people might be thinking the same thing. If you really want to know it's never a stupid question.

Many thanks to both of you. That helps but now leads me to another question. What influences the decision between taking a swab and just testing the urine?

I have had a swab done only once. I sported a slight semi initially but that soon went down due to the intense burning sensation. Slightly uncomfortable but very hot afterward when thinking about it!

A urethral swab is apparently slightly more effective than a urine test, so one is normally taken from the man at an STD clinic to test for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Other swabs such as anal, oral, or cervical, might be taken to check for gonorrhea depending on the type of sexual activity.

Dr Philip - The UK Play Doctor.

I have a question, is a urethral swab the same as a Wet Mount? I have heard this term before and really don't know what it is. Any explanation would be appreciated.

Technically speaking, no, they're not the same. A urethral swab is exactly what the name implies. A wet mount is a technique for preparing a sample for microscopic analysis. So, the material that is swabbed from the urethra may (or may not) be prepared for a wet mount, but the two are not the same.

Definitions r us!

LadyDoc

This thread reminds me of a movie that was set during the Vietnam War.

A line of male soldiers were standing in front of a line of female nurses. They were told to drop their trowsers and underwear. They all grimaced as the nurses did a urethral swab to check for VD, before the soldiers returned state side.

Unfortunately, in typical army fashion, this group of soldiers had just arrivied in Vietnam. It was a different group that was going home.

Does anyone recall the movie?

Swabs are usually done for sai's a swab is inserted into the uretheral opening and affixed to a culture medium that varies from institution to institution

I've heard it hurts like hell.

How long is the swab that they use? Is there an ideal length that the doc needs to use to get a correct sample of what ever they are looking for?

The swab is generally about 6" long, but don't worry, it doesn't go in that far. Maybe it's just that I'm a girl, but I don't see what the big fascination is, and I take urethral swabs all the time (just not on humans). It's a flipping Q-tip, people!

An althernative method is first to insert a smooth metallic tube to some depth, and then inserting the swab throug this tube to the place where the culture is taken from.

I expereinced something similar at a special physical when I was 12 years old, but I only remember the metalllic tube.

A friend of mine experiensed this kind of procedure when he was 30 because he got a mysterical genital infection. He told both about the tube and the swab.

This is a story that my driver told me:

6 years ago, when he was 18, he fractured a leg playing soccer. He was taken to the hospital, and they gave him an spinal anesthesia, in order to work on his leg, put the bones in position and then put the cast, that covered the entire leg, from toes to the crotch.

After the cast was fixed in his leg, he realized that he was't capable of urinating, his bladder was full, but he had no sensation down the waist, and couldn't pee, even if he made his effort in the methalic pot. The female doctor told him that if in a half hour he didn't pee they would have to put a catheter or the bladder would explote and he would die, so, after half hour they performed that procedure. The nurse took his penis, cleaned it and introduce the long methalic catheter, he said it was maybe 1m long. He said it was the worst sensation ever, even if he didn't feel any pain (because he was still under the spinal anesthesia), but he felt so vulnerable, and was very afraid of any damage.

After that, he was in his home, but he was incapable of poop, everytime he tried, his leg was in pain, make any effort was terrible, so he didn't shit for a week. After a week he began to feel very sick, and start to have a kind of seizure. A cousin that is doctor go to visited him and told him that his colon was very constipated, and he was in a kind of intoxication. The doctor cousin gave him a shoot to calm his seizure, and recommended a diet of plenty fluids and light food. He also put him a suppository, which he said was a very embarrasing experience, as long as he felt very bad about putting something up his ass.

They're standard in uk std clinics.

and they barely go into your urethra... less than a cm.

watched, tried, and had it done to myself.....

I have never had an std test where they swab urethra. Always a blood or urine test. I could see doing one during a play exam for embarrassments sake.

@user264 Yes, I remember seeing the scene you are talking about (that sort of stuff always gets my attention) but I'll be damned if I remember the name of the movie. I had a urethral swab at Planned Parenthood a couple of times, and it's a good play doc procedure too.

@user264

Do you remember the name of the move? Did it show the swab going inside the penis?

@user264

Do you remember the name of the move? Did it show the swab going inside the penis?

@ekgbob20

I don't and it did not.