Examination of vaginal and cervical secretions provides useful information in the diagnosis of vaginitis and cervicitis. Collection of the specimen is simple and can be done at the time of pelvic examination. This section describes the collection, specimen preparation, and microscopic examination of vaginal and cervical secretions.

Vaginitis is a common cause of morbidity in women of all ages (Paavonen). Despite a limited number of causes, physicians often have difficulty establishing an accurate diagnosis of this disorder (Sparks, Berg). It is frequently overdiagnosed among women who actually have normal flora or misdiagnosed as having one cause when another agent is responsible. Misdiagnosis is probably the biggest factor accounting for persistent symptoms in women who have already sought the care of a physician for their symptoms and who often have undergone improper treatment (Sparks, Berg, Eschenbach).

The incidence of vaginal discharge caused by cervicitis has not been well studied. However, it is generally believed that cervicitis, and sexually transmitted disease in general, is often unrecognized and therefore underdiagnosed and undertreated (Eschenbach, Schaaf).

Therefore a review of the simple process and technique of specimen collection, handling, examination, and evaluation may improve the diagnostic accuracy in these common but troublesome disorders. In addition, much progress has been made in recent years in simplifying the way in which cultures for gonococci and Chlamydia are obtained, transported, and subsequently evaluated by the microbiology laboratory.