Please note: refer to the specimen collection and storage guidelines for each test for information on individual testing requirements.
All specimens and cultures must be submitted to the laboratory with a completed requisition form (see links to the right for forms). Regulations require all fields on the form to be completed, and any required information that is missing may lead to specimen rejection upon receipt. Please be sure to type or write clearly, as forms that are not legible can lead to misrouting of results. If you are a San Francisco-based clinician who is in possession of a San Francisco community health network (CHN) number, this number must also be included on the form for proper routing of results.
Specimens and cultures must be labeled with at least two of the following patient identifiers:
- Patient’s full first and last name
- Date of birth
- Medical record number
The patient identifiers on the specimen tube must match those provided on the accompanying requisition form. Specify the specimen collection site (e.g. urethral, pharyngeal, cervical) on the tube, if necessary, for specimen identification. Specimens containing biohazardous material must be submitted in a leak-proof bag or container and labeled accordingly.
The San Francisco Public Health Laboratory does not process urine cups for chlamydia/gonorrhea, Trichomonas vaginalis, or Mycoplasma genitalium NAAT testing – urine must be aliquoted into APTIMA urine collection kits in order to be tested.
New HSV 1/2 APTIMA Instructions
Starting November 29th, 2021, the San Francisco Public Health Laboratory will be changing the assay currently used for differentiating Herpes Simplex Virus 1/2 from HSV PCR to HSV TMA. Please review the following letter for more details: HSV 1/2 TMA Letter.