Common Questions About
Specimen Collection

GYN specimens collected in PreservCyt may be held for up to 6 weeks at temperatures between 15-30° C following collection and prior to processing for the ThinPrep Pap Test.

For the proper collection technique, please refer to our PDF file: ThinPrep Pap Test Quick Reference Guide. The guide can be downloaded, printed, and posted in your exam room.

You will need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™.

Lubricants increase the risk of contaminating or obscuring the cellular sample with both conventional pap smears and all liquid-based methods. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI; formerly the NCCLS) recommends that lukewarm water be used to lubricate and warm the speculum. If a lubricant must be used due to patient discomfort or other circumstances, it should be applied sparingly on the outer portion of the speculum with great care to avoid the tip, using a water-based lubricant such as Astroglide®. Please refer to the Customer Training Bulletin on Collection, the Dear Colleague Letter on Lubricants, or the CLSI Document: Papanicolaou Technique; Approved Guideline and ACOG Practice Bulletin, no. 45, August 2003. You will need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader™.

Cells are preserved in PreservCyt for 6 weeks at 15-30° C. Cells are preserved in CytoLyt for 8 days at room temperature.

Menstrual blood can obscure significant findings. Therefore it is preferable to avoid sample collection during menses, and ideal to schedule an exam two weeks after the first day of the last menstrual period (i.e. mid-cycle).¹ ACOG and CLSI guidelines state that one should avoid sample collection during menses. According to the CLSI guidelines, a woman should be advised to schedule the examination "two weeks after her last menstrual period and preferably when she is not menstruating."¹