Swabs – Endocervical /low vaginal/ rectal/ throat/urethral/ high vaginal swabs
Eye swabs
Urine (males only)
Yellow topped Chlamydia swabs (Copan PCR)
White Top Universal Pots (20-30ml of initial stream urine)
Endocervical and Low vaginal Swabs
1. Open the plastic bag. Open the paper packet which contains two swabs. Throw away the thin ended swab – you need to use the THICKER swab ONLY.
2. Stand with your feet apart and your knees bent, or sit down with your knees apart.
3. Take the thicker of the two swabs by the non-fluffy end.
4. With your free hand hold open the skin around the vaginal opening. Place the soft swab tip into the vagina approximately the length of your finger. Rotate the swab all the way around the vagina. Remove the swab and continue to hold it. Do not put it down
5. Holding the yellow topped tube upright, unscrew the cap and put the swab inside with the fluffy end down. There is a faintly scored ring around the white stick about 2/3 of the way up. Hold the swab stick firmly with the score mark against the top of the tube; bend it until it breaks off at the top of the tube. Screw the cap on firmly. Label the tube with your full name, date of birth and the date of the sample. Ensure that the tube only contains the thicker swab. The laboratory will not be able to process the sample if both swabs are in the tube.
6. You may discard the broken stick, packaging and unused swab into a household rubbish bag.
Please state time of collection and label with the minimum patient identification. Labelling must include the following:
Samples from patients known to have blood transmissible viral infections should be clearly labelled “High Risk” or “Danger of Infection”.
Please include relevant clinical details and any antimicrobial therapy the patient is taking
Diagnosis of Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection.
This test in not validated for urines in females.
Eye swabs will be tested on neonates suspected of having opthalmia neonatorum. Please also send a bacterial swab for Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
Self-taken female swabs are acceptable for screening purposes.
The National Chlamydia Screening Programme offers annual (or on change of sexual partner) opportunistic screening to all sexually active men & women under 25 years.
If patient is symptomatic / high suspicion of infection please send HVS/ Endocervical swab.
Do not repeat this test within 1 month.
Local test
Up to 6 days
Chlamydia: surveillance, data, screening and management – UKHSA
British Association for Sexual Health and HIV
National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) – UKHSA
Chlamydia – Devon Sexual Health
Chlamydia – Lab Tests Online UK
Specimen Labelling Procedure