# Doper Docs: Could ejaculate skew a protein urea test? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 5, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-docs-could-ejaculate-skew-a-protein-urea-test/293093 "2005-03-05T16:50:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2005, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-docs-could-ejaculate-skew-a-protein-urea-test/293093/1 "2005-03-05T16:50:06Z")
I was ordered a 24-hour urine sample, which I completed last Sunday and returned to the hospital last Monday. I saw my GP yesterday and he told me that I was excreting 8000 (units…I can’t remember whether it was micrograms or milligrams or what) of protein in my urine daily based on the sample. That’s apparently 80 times what a normally functioning kidney does. My question, and it’s one that didn’t occur to me until after I was back home yesterday afternoon, is, Can having ejaculated during the 24-hour span of the sample skew protein readings from seminal residue left in the urethra? Should I have “flushed out” before I took the next sample after ejaculating? Is this something I should bring up to my doctor on the next visit? He’s already referred me to a urologist (my appointment with him is the 25th of this month). I just wonder if I messed the test up because I wasn’t thinking about this… ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-docs-could-ejaculate-skew-a-protein-urea-test/293093/2 "2005-03-05T17:24:45Z")
While semen can cause a false positive on a urine dipstick protein test, I don’t believe that a little ejaculate is going to give you 8 grams of protein in the 24 hour urine collection, unfortunately. ☹ See the urologist!! And if so inclined, feel free to email me, **jayjay**! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-docs-could-ejaculate-skew-a-protein-urea-test/293093/3 "2005-03-05T17:34:13Z")
Well, considering that there was also elevated blood glucose and high triglycerides (but my cholesterol is GREAT! :)) indicated, he’s sending me for a Glucose 1A(?) (if that’s the one that takes the 3-month window) as well as sending me to the urologist. There’s a little piece of my brain that’s huddling in the corner muttering that things were fine until I actually went to see a doctor and whaddidI hafta go and do that for anyway, but I’m basically ignoring that voice… ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doper-docs-could-ejaculate-skew-a-protein-urea-test/293093/4 "2005-03-05T18:44:58Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Well, considering that there was also elevated blood glucose and high triglycerides (but my cholesterol is GREAT! :)) indicated, he’s sending me for a Glucose 1A(?) (if that’s the one that takes the 3-month window) as well as sending me to the urologist. > > There’s a little piece of my brain that’s huddling in the corner muttering that things were fine until I actually went to see a doctor and whaddidI hafta go and do that for anyway, but I’m basically ignoring that voice… Hm. HgbA1C perhaps? If so, that’s **not** how diabetes is diagnosed. That’s a test which monitors how well diabetics are controlling their blood sugars. A normal test doesn’t mean one is not a diabetic.