Where to get ejaculate and swab cultures done?

Hi everyone,
I’m running into a bit of an issue myself. Last week, I noticed some blood in my ejaculate, so I went to see a urologist. He checked my prostate and ordered an ejaculate culture along with aerobic and anaerobic urethral swabs. My doctor is in private practice at the Mayo Clinic in New York City. Since I have State Farm coverage through my employer, the initial exam is covered, but I’d have to pay about $300 out of pocket for these specific tests. I know health is the priority, but from what I’ve gathered reading this forum, those swabs get sent off to Rockefeller or somewhere similar, and $300 feels like a lot for something that might not be strictly necessary. Does anyone know if there's a cheaper way to get this done? How long is the wait, and what's the process if I go directly to Rockefeller? Also, does anyone know if certain plans—maybe something from Allstate—cover these kinds of diagnostic tests? It seems like for that amount of money, I could probably just get a full policy that covers most things, especially since it looks like I might be seeing specialists quite often for a while.

If you have your own primary care doctor, I guess you just go to them for referrals.

Tyler Taylor552 said:If you have your own primary care physician, you just go through them to get the referrals.

Given how long the wait times can be at Rockefeller 12 for swabs and an ejaculate culture, I was wondering if it's possible to schedule over the phone—and if so, which number should I call—or am I stuck having to show up in person...

silverfox3 said:I was wondering about the wait times at Rockefeller 12 for swabs and an ejaculate culture. I guess you can call ahead to schedule, but if so, what number should I use? Or is it one of those places where you just have to show up in person...

Also, does Rockefeller 12 cover the cost for those cultures and swabs, or is there a fee for that too, I suppose...

Daniel Campbell6 said:Is all that "culture" and those breezes over at Rockefeller 12 actually free, or is there some kind of hidden fee for breathing that air?

The standard procedure is just using a referral,
CDC, Rockefeller 12

silverfox3 said:How long is the wait at Rockefeller 12 for swabs and an ejaculate culture? Can I just call ahead to book an appointment (if so, what number?) or do I actually have to show up in person...

Just show up, hand over your referral, sit down, and wait.

Well, I finally have the full procedure down, so if anyone else needs it...

You just grab a referral from your primary care doctor. There’s no need to make an appointment; you can just show up at Rockefeller 7 (the clinic is right behind the Institute) in the morning between 7:30 and 9:30 AM. You’ll have to wait in line, though it usually isn't too crowded. One thing to keep in mind is that you shouldn't urinate for at least 2–3 hours beforehand, otherwise the results might not be reliable. The results should be ready in about 14 days, and I guess you’ll need to pay a co-pay of roughly $30.

Can someone who’s good at "interpreting lab results" help me out?

Ejaculate - aerobic bacteriology:
- no inflammatory cells found
- bacterial count 10^3 CFU/ml
- physiological flora

Urethral swab - aerobic bacteriology:
- physiological flora

Urethral swab - anaerobic bacteriology:
Penicillin
Amoxicillin + clavulanic acid
Cephalexin
Azithromycin
Erythromycin
Clindamycin
- all of these are marked S (sensitive) for both Veillonella parvula and Peptococcus SP.

From what I gather, they isolated Veillonella parvula and Peptococcus SP. Does anyone know much about them? Are they dangerous, I guess?😕

Alright guys, I’ve got some seriously good news for you!

A lady over at Virogena told me they’re doing testing using an ejaculate sample (just collect it in the evening in a sterile cup), your first morning urine (second stream, also in a cup), and a swab taken from the tip... NO MORE HAVING A SWAB SHOVED UP YOUR ASS—HUZZAH!
Basically, these tests are 100% reliable, and if they actually find anything in those samples, they can run a full typing on it too.
The whole thing runs about $400, which is honestly a total steal compared to the misery of having someone shove a stick up your pipe and scrape your insides elsewhere.

http://www.virogena.com/

So, here’s the deal—this guy needs to go in for an ejaculate culture (not a spermogram, mind you, just a bacterial test) and a urine culture at Arlington National Cemetery. I was wondering if they actually handle that on-site there, specifically in the urology clinic right by the hospital entrance where they do things like swabs for women and all that? Does anyone happen to know which days they're open for this? For women, I think it’s Monday and Wednesday, right?

Also, I guess I should ask—can he get a head start? Like, could he collect the sample in a sterile cup at home either the night before or even that same morning?
I mean, I definitely know the urine sample has to be the very first thing in the morning, but I'm mostly curious about the other part... 😁