Where she asks about peeing in a cup...

[ladygaia87.livejournal.com]

A comment in a post in another community reminded me (rather, my comment to the comment) to post this, which I've been meaning to do for a while. You know how before you give a urine sample how your supposed to wipe with those damned castile soap towelettes? Do they have anything else you can wipe with aside from that? I never ever use them, because they make my vulva burn like it's been scraped very roughly with a rake, and 8 times out of 10 I get a YI from the damned things. Is there anything else I can do about the crazy castile soap things. They are supposedly hypoallergenic etc. and gentle...yea..right. Gentle my ass. Thanks in advance vagina lovers. :)

Comments

[vicious-mongrel.livejournal.com]

Wow, i've never know about that.

I've peed in a cup on a fair few occasions and they've never made me use any soap things, I spose you could get things like baby whips or ask them if using a baby whipe would be ok as you react to the ones they give you.

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

Maybe you've been doing your cup-peeing for reasons other than looking for UTI? If you're leaving a specimen for pregnancy testing or infection testing (gonorrhea/chlamydia), you wouldn't need to use wipes.

[ladygaia87.livejournal.com]

I haven't left a specimen for a UTI in a while, even just for prenatal urinalysis (which is completely unnecessary IMO...) they tell you to use them. The only times I've left specimens as of late was for prenatal stuffs, and other random urinalysis they decide to do. I never ask why they want my pee, and honestly couldn't care..its just pee.

[auraesque.livejournal.com]

I was under the assumption those were for wiping your hands and the cup afterward. You pee a little in the toilet before the cup, and that way the urine sample won't be contaminated. But never has the nurse or the little instructions pamplet mentioned using those little wipes.

[malantha.livejournal.com]

I had a urologist tell me to use the wipes to clean the area, then pee into the toilet a bit, stop, pee into the cup, finish up.

The wipes are supposed to remove bacteria from your skin, while the bit of pee is supposed to rinse out your urethra. As far as I know, anyway. :)

[mercy-rain.livejournal.com]

It's called doing a clean catch (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003751.htm). It's important to wipe the vulva before starting, and to collect urine in mid-stream (i.e. don't start urinating directly into the cup) because the bacteria that hang around on your vulva can get into the sample and skew the results.

[ladygaia87.livejournal.com]

Nope. They are for wiping your vulva.

[alwaysamommy.livejournal.com]

I've always been told to wipe with one from front to back and then urinate a little, stop the flow, then finish in the cup. I do all of the above except the wiping with the towelette. I suppose it's supposed to give them a clean sample but I've never had a problem.

[auraesque.livejournal.com]

Haha, I feel so silly! I thought they were a courtesy for the folks handling the pee cups. :)

[alwaysamommy.livejournal.com]

It's okay. I'm sure they appreciate the effort!! :-)

[astaciamorrigen.livejournal.com]

I recommend taking a clean washcloth with you and ask if you can wet it and use it. Explain to the nurse why you are asking. It may be allowed in your case. :)

[ladygaia87.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :)

[agata.livejournal.com]

You really don't have to use anything. Next time, just don't wipe. I've been given wipes, and I have not been given wipes. Doesn't make a difference.

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

Oh, but it does! Not using the wipes will potentially lead to a specimen contaminated with matter from the vulva, which results in an entirely different read on the specimen from the lab. Often, when people aren't able to use the wipes (I see this typically in older patients, who don't have the dexterity/understanding to use the wipes), the culture will come back 10-20k of multiple organisms, typically representing contaminate; no further testing will be performed.

This isn't good, because it's important to know A. if you have a UTI and B. if so, you can receive the right kind of treatment (not all bacteria are susceptible to all antibiotics) and C. if so, what bacteria is causing it, so you can be retested after treatment and ensure the bacteria is gone.

[ladygaia87.livejournal.com]

Though for some people it doesn't make a difference at all, like myself. I once had a UTI test pop up positive after not using the towelettes, did it again AFTER using the towelettes, still positive. But I haven't had a UTI test in quite some time. As stated above. Just the general prenatal urinalysis, and whatever the hell they check for at every appointment even if your just going to get poked at with metal...

[loonylupinlover.livejournal.com]

Could you ask for nonscented baby wipes, perhaps? I would think they'd have those around. When I did a clean catch before I think they just gave me something like that (though I think it did have antibacterial properties, but it didn't burn), definitely nothing with castile soap in it. Dr. Bronner's castile soap burns my mucus membranes liek woah if I get it near it, so I imagine I would've have the same difficulty as you do, but I don't recall any burning.

[ladygaia87.livejournal.com]

Maybe. But I don't know if they have them around or not. I don't even use baby wipes on my babies, same reason as not using castile soap on me, it gives them yeast infections..all the women in my family gets them very very easily. So me even using those would probably be a disaster.

[alwaysamommy.livejournal.com]

Have you tried cloth baby wipes on your babies? That's also an option for you if you know you're going to have testing done because they come with pouches to be carried from point A to point B. Someone on a cloth pads community would know how to get ahold of them if you haven't tried them.

[ladygaia87.livejournal.com]

Sort of not really. We have really really soft washcloths, and I just wet them with warm water to wipe them. I want to get cloth wipes, but really what's the difference? I know they are supposed to be softer, but our washcloths are uber-soft. Even my son gets an external YI from baby wipes. It's odd how practically everyone in my family is prone to them. Though I know how to get some cloth wipes, since I like cloth diapers, but currently don't have any. *working on getting some from miracle diapers*

[alwaysamommy.livejournal.com]

From what I understand (I didn't know the existed til my youngest was 5 years old), they're soft flannel like a cloth maxi pad and they come with a case to carry them in and they're sized like a disposable wipe. My oldest daughter couldn't use wipes and she also couldn't use the disposable diapers with the plastic backing (she also had to have a special baby wash because the regular baby magic stuff broke her out all over and the dial body wash does that to her now). It had to be the "cloth like" type diapers and that was when they first came out so it made diapering difficult. I wish they had cloth diapers like they have now. Back then it was the pinned kind with a plastic cover which also obviously wasn't an option. She still has problems to this day with YI's and skin rashes and she's 11. We just try to be careful and she uses ivory on the rest of her skin so whatever pools off of her in the shower doesn't break out her private parts.

[ladygaia87.livejournal.com]

I've never even been around a cloth pad, I use a Diva. But soft flannel explains it better. I've always had problems with YI's and skin rashes, especially around my vulva. My daughters do too, and my son apparently inherited it as well. He's had a yeast infection or two. *sigh*

[alwaysamommy.livejournal.com]

Poor kiddos. They suck bad enough as an adult. Hopefully they'll outgrow it. It doesn't seem likely but I know from my end, it'd be nice if I sent my daughter off into the world without a fear of soap someday.

[ladygaia87.livejournal.com]

There is a very very small chance they will outgrow it. I've been getting YIs since I was a baby myself. The only thing that keeps them at bay somewhat is avoiding panties, and avoiding soap on my vulva of any kind.

[alwaysamommy.livejournal.com]

Like I said, it's unlikely, but we can always hope.

[ladygaia87.livejournal.com]

Yes, we can always hope.

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

Proper directions for a clean-catch urine sample (which is done to check for urinary infection) are to use all 3 wipes, front to back, discarding each wipe as you go, then let a little urine go into the toilet, catch the rest in the cup, seal the top tightly and return it to your health care provider.

The wipes aren't castile soap, to the best of my knowledge -- they're a mild solution, rather like baby wipes. It's necessary to use them, because otherwise the specimen will be contaminated with matter from the labia (vaginal secretions, etc).

[ladygaia87.livejournal.com]

Yep, I know the directions all too well. I've read the packets, they are castile soap. And I cannot use the wipes because as I said, they burn my vulva like crazy.

[tarqness.livejournal.com]

The wipes I've always been given are benzalkonium chloride.

[ladygaia87.livejournal.com]

The ones all the doctors offices I've given urine samples at use castile soap towelettes. But the only ones I have given urine samples at are the ones ran by hospitals, and that's what they've used at the hospitals I've given urine samples at as well. Although with me, any sort of soap would hurt my vulva. No matter how "gentle" it says it is. My vulva is just really sensitive. Even the supposed "feminine wash" burns. :(

[incarnated-joy.livejournal.com]

I've been tested for UTI's loads of times and I have never had to do that. They actually told me not to, because if there was bacteria present, it could actually be the bacteria making me sore and uncomfy so wiping down could eradicate the signs of the infection or whatever. Least ways thats what I was told.

If I had to I'd maybe try baby wipes or something, or a wet towel.

[ladygaia87.livejournal.com]

They tell me to do that no matter what they are doing with my pee. I've tried the wet paper towel route since I forgot to ask for something other than the towelettes, and they were very rough.

[cryingcat613.livejournal.com]

Agreed on the baby wipes. I've been drug tested tons of times (thanks, American public school system!) and it's never been required that we wipe.

Still, it sounds painful. :(

[ladygaia87.livejournal.com]

It is. But I just have a very sensitive vulva and a very sensitive vagina. Most people don't have any trouble with them I'm guessing. I just have trouble with them due to the fact my vulva is so sensitive. The littlest thing will make me burn. And baby wipes would probably make me burn, and/or give me a YI (external most likely though). Every doctors office/testing facility/hospital has asked to use those. Or they have a big sign on the wall telling you to do a clean catch.

[tara-the-tiara.livejournal.com]

I recently had to do a urine sample, never done one before and they didn't give me a wipe or even tell me to pee a little before going in the cup.. if the results came back negative could that have affected it?

Sorry for the hijack on your post, i just never knew any of that!

[ladygaia87.livejournal.com]

No, it's more likely to make it positive.