I'm writing now only to ask one remaining question regarding urine sampling for my STI PCR test. 

For recap, my past exposures included receive unprotected oral sex, protected vaginal sex on May 1, 2024, and a brief incident of finger contact with vaginal fluids, with possible subsequent masturbation using the same hand on Dec 13, 2024. I've remained asymptomatic and have been evaluated by std physician. 

I've undergone three urine-based STI PCR tests (Aug 2, 2024; Feb 19, 2025; and Sept 30, 2025), all negative. All three tests were performed using mid-stream urine, and I've never submitted a true first-stream urine sample. Each test was also performed concurrently with a urine culture. Only the most recent sample was collected from the first morning void; the previous two were collected from second morning void. 

I'm asking because, as you know, my wife had abnormal spotting, irregular periods, and foul-smelling vaginal discharge about 9 days after sex with me on Jan 19, 2025. She was diagnosed with BV and an endometrial polyp, treated accordingly, and has since fully recovered. But she has never undergone any STI PCR testing.

Does the use of midstream urine in my case affect the reliability of my negative PCR results? Do I need to repeat the test using first-stream to confirm that I was never infected and did not transmit anything to my wife? 

Thanks again! 

First morning void and initial versus midstream urine make no difference in the reliability of the urine based STI tests. They derive from the earliest research studies of the tests, whereas 20-30 years of real-world experience has shown they make no difference.

I understand your anxieties -- even though the exposures were low risk, reassurance alone is a valid reason for STI/HIV testing, and I also understand your concern about your wife's symptoms. However, these are now to all be ignored. Trust me on this:  neither this issue, nor any other you might think of or find online, has any chance of altering the reliability of your negative test results. On top of this, looking back at your first question 7 months ago, for all practical purposes the exposures you remain obsessed about were zero risk for any and all STIs. It now is high time for you to accept the results. And as already implied, I advise you to cease online searching about these issues:  like most anxious persons, it appears you are selectively seeing the information that inflames your worries and missing the reassuring information that also can be found. It isn't worth it!

Finally, as implied above, please note the forum policy against repeated questions on the same topic. This being your fifth or sixth about these exposure and your test results, it must be your last. Repetitive questions, especially when anxiety driven, may be deleted without reply and without refund of the posting fee. The forum sponsor doesn't want repeated payment for questions already answered or whose answers are obvious from previous discussions; repeated answers tend to prolong rather than relieve anxiety; and such questions have reduced educational value for other users, one of the forum's goals. Thank you for your understanding.

HHH, MD

Before closing this discussion, I would appreciate your opinion on one final, related point concerning my wife's Pap smear, which I'm sharing if this's okay. 

The female doctor who performed  the Pap smear and who also treated my wife's cervical polyp and BV- advised that these findings were normal. She didn't specifically  comment on phrase " metaplastic cells present" and recommending only routine Pap smear. However, a separate STD doctor commented that this phrase might warrant attention or repeat test/swab, which caused some confusion for me. 

If possible, I would appreciate your perspective on whether the phrase" metaplastic cells present" in the report- is generally considered a normal and reassuring  finding, or whether it typically requires any additional evaluation? 

Thank you so much! 

That concludes this thread. Please follow the guidelines summarized in the last paragraph of my main reply above -- no more questions about the sexual exposure almost two years ago and your STI test results afterward. I do hope the several discussions have settled all your concerns. Best wishes and stay safe.