The vaginitis wet prep test is a test to detect an infection of the vagina that does not involve the urinary tract.
This test is done during a pelvic examination. The nurse practitioner inserts a sterile, moist cotton swab into the vagina to take a sample of discharge. The discharge is placed onto a slide and placed under a microscope so that it can be checked for signs of infection.
A normal test result means there are no signs of an infection.
Abnormal results mean there is an infection. The most common infections are due to one or a combination of the following:
- Bacterial vaginosis-an overgrowth of bacteria that normally live in the vagina, causing irritation, discharge and a strong, unpleasant odor
- Trichomoniasis-a sexually transmitted disease caused by a single-celled organism called a protozoan
- Vaginal yeast infection-an overgrowth of yeast fungus that can cause irritation
