Specimen Requirements

Preferred Specimen:

Specimens of cervical or vaginal secretions should be obtained during pelvic examination.
A portion of the secretions should be placed in a small amount (0.5 to 1.0 mL) of saline.
Alternatively, a portion of the secretions may be mixed with a drop of saline on a 3 x 1 in microscope slide, coverslipped, placed in a Petri dish, and immediately transported to the laboratory, being careful to protect it from temperature change.