Why do they make women pee in a cup?

Who is making women pee in a cup? Maybe just pee in a toilet like a normal woman. That could be the answer.

I’m assuming you mean at a doctor’s office?

There are things generally referred to as “hats”... they look like top hats… that sit in the toilet and are usually used for stool collection. Unless it’s a sterile collection, like a urine culture, I don’t see why a woman couldn’t request a “hat” and then have the contents put into the cup.

edit: I stand corrected. Apparently the “hat” isn’t sterile so that isn’t an option.

Because they ran out of coffee?

You use a cup so the urine is caught “mid stream” so as not to include bacteria from the skin. Bacteria IN the urine is a sign of infection.

source

edit: men also pee in cups.
edit 2: I don’t see what is so terrible about peeing in the cup? you still get to wash your hands afterward!

if you’re incapacitated, like in a hospital and can’t do much for yourself, they’ll make you pee into a hat and then the nurse can collect it. that’s more work for the nurse, and potentially messy, but when you’re incapacitated you can’t do it yourself. now, if you’re fine, like just pregnant but still able to do things yourself and take care of yourself, you can pee into a cup (for them to test the pregnancy hormones and stuff) and you deal with the pee and the cup and if it’s messy. the nurses obviously don’t want to deal with that hassle if they don’t have to.

@monsoon If you didn’t like peeing in a cup you should probably start trying to be as healthy as possible so as to avoid all the other stuff doctors do like pelvic exams, colonoscopies etc etc…

BriL is my doctor and he gives the best pelvic exams.

They are multiple choice and true false.

I have kidney disease, and about every 6 months I have to do what is called a “24 hour protein and creatnin(sp?) test”. This involves catching every freakin’ drop of pee for exactly 24 hours, keeping it in a jug in the refrigerator (ugh), and taking the jug to the lab, then getting stuck for a blood draw. It’s loads of fun, ha! Especially if you lose or miss any of the urine…then you get to start all over! Peeing in a cup is not even an option for this test, as it won’t all fit in a cup. I used to use empty, washed Cool Whip bowls, but still managed to pee on my hands regularly (ugh, again). I finally bought a “hat” for my own personal use.

Yeah peeing in a cup is quite tricky for women (men, you can at least SEE where you’re aiming). If you miss and don’t get enough in there, have fun waiting!

I’ll have to look into this hat option – way too often, I have stuck around the doctor’s office to pee in a cup.

@augustlan: Ugh, I work at LabCorp. I hate those friggin 24 hour jugs. When I worked in the lab (thank goodness I work in dispatch now), those things were the bain of my existance. They smelled TERRIBLE (the caps were warranted) Those jugs should come with a funnel that’s ass-shaped, so you just sit and it all goes in the right place. Can I patent that? LOL

@poof: I wish you would! It would make my life ever so much better. Now get right on that, ‘k?

@poof you think a 24hr urine smells bad? You should smell the output of the microbiology labs clininical waste. Stool samples that have been autoclaved are in another class all together

@Lightly: Most of the stool samples I had to deal with were frozen, so that blunted the smell a little bit… But… the smell of a bad urinary tract infection doesn’t leave your nostrils for days

@Lightly: wait. So it’s basically boiled stool? I think I’m going to be sick.

@ poof yup I used to empty tons of it every day! On the bright side my boss always left me to my own devices.

Then I became a nurse and was introduced to the wonders of malena and feacal vomit. sigh

pee-hat, not to be confused with p-hat, a statistics term that i can’t find a good google for because “phat” is so much more popular (thanks, myspace!)

because making them pee in a spoon is cruel

If you think a SPOON is cruel, what about when they make them pee in a FORK?!

you silly monkey you! hehe

@Mr_M: lmfao

poofandmook crushes on mr. m.

I saw a video of a monkey washing a kitten on David letterman once. Oh YEAH!

Sorry guys… I had to stop reading half way through! So much for breakfast…

for drug screens or other urinalysis, the receptical must be sterile and free of contaminants that may produce an altered response to the test. specimen cups come steril and/or contaminate free for these tests. it is much easier to provide a smaller steril receptical than a large one. also a larger container may colect particles of foreign matter that will also alter the test such as dust, hairs, or particles of clothes. some urinalysis tests require the use of a catheter so peeing in a cup is not that bad; with practice it can be easier.

Cause their cup is half empty?

There is actually a container that catches urine that sits inside a toilet- between it and the cover. I had one after surgery and the catheter was removed but they still wanted a collection for sampling when I used the toilet.

Perhaps you could ask for one of those next time you need a urine sample collected.

Should be into a bottle?