Urinary Tract Testing (No Blood Draw) | No Doctor's Referral | Epicentre
PCR test · 11 pathogens

Urinary tract testing. Find the cause

Recurring UTIs, or symptoms that don't clear up with first-line treatment? A PCR panel that identifies exactly which organism is responsible, so treatment can be targeted instead of guessed.

No doctor's referral 100% confidential Results 5 to 7 days Student discount
How it works
Free delivery within 10km of branches · R300 nationwide · Visa, Mastercard, Instant EFT, Payflex
The two Epicentre home sampling kits: a brown box with a pink label for vaginal sampling, and one with a blue label for penile sampling
Single price
R1,609
payflex or R402 × 4 interest-free
11 pathogens
screened in one panel
Swab and urine
Collected at home
For anyone with a urinary tract. UTIs are more common in people with shorter urethras (women, trans men, people assigned female at birth) but anyone can develop one. The test works regardless of anatomy.
What's in the panel

11 pathogens, one test

The PCR panel screens for the bacterial and fungal organisms that cause the majority of UTIs in South Africa. Identifying the exact organism allows your GP to target treatment rather than prescribing broad-spectrum options that may not work.

Bacterial

The two most common bacterial UTI causes.

  • Escherichia coli, the cause of most uncomplicated UTIs
  • Enterococcus faecalis, common in catheter-related and complicated UTIs

Candida species (yeast)

Seven Candida strains, important when symptoms don't respond to antibacterial treatment.

  • Candida albicans
  • Candida dubliniensis
  • Candida glabrata
  • Candida krusei
  • Candida lusitaniae
  • Candida parapsilosis
  • Candida tropicalis

Other organisms

Bacteria that can complicate or mimic standard UTIs.

  • Staphylococcus aureus, relevant in complicated and hospital-acquired UTIs
  • Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Strep), important during pregnancy
Is this test for you?

When PCR UTI testing helps

A standard urine dipstick at a clinic can confirm whether a UTI is present. PCR adds the next layer: which organism is responsible. That matters most when:

  • You've had three or more UTIs in the past year
  • Standard first-line treatment hasn't resolved your symptoms
  • You're not sure whether symptoms are bacterial or fungal
  • You experience burning, frequent urination, pelvic discomfort or cloudy urine
  • You're pregnant and want clarity on Group B Strep status
  • You want to avoid empirical antibiotic use and target treatment to the specific organism
R1,609

or R402 × 4 with Payflex

Results in 5 to 7 working days, emailed privately.

What arrives at your door

Your UTI test comes in our home sampling kit, with the return courier included. The kit comes in two versions: a pink label for vaginal sampling and a blue label for penile sampling. After you order, we call to check which one to send.

The two Epicentre home sampling kits side by side: a brown box with a pink label and one with a blue label
Same test, same price, whichever kit you get. We confirm the right one with you by phone.
  • A sterile swab, a urine container and seal strips from the Epicentre home sampling kitSwab, urine pot and seal stripsThe seal strips wrap the lid so nothing leaks on the way back.
  • The sealed specimen bag and instruction card inside an Epicentre home sampling kitSpecimen bag and instructionsStep-by-step instructions with pictures, and a sealed bag for the return trip.
  • An opened Epicentre home sampling kit with everything packed insideEverything in one boxCollect your sample at home, in private. No blood draw.
  • Opening the lid of an Epicentre home sampling kit, with the results timeline printed insideResults in 5 to 7 working daysEmailed to you privately once the lab has tested your sample.
  • Delivered to your doorFree delivery and return courier within 10km of our branches in Observatory (Cape Town), Hillcrest (Durban) and Parktown North (Johannesburg), in 1 to 2 business days. R300 anywhere else in South Africa, return pickup included, in 2 to 4 business days.
  • Collect from a pickup pointPick up your kit at a partner practice or pharmacy in Cape Town, Stellenbosch or Durban, then take your sample at home. See all collection points.
  • Collect from a branchPick up your kit at our Observatory, Hillcrest or Parktown North branch, then take your sample at home.

Private from start to finish. The kit arrives in a plain Courier Guy bag. Want a plain box with no label as well? Tick “Plain box, no label” at checkout. Your bank statement shows only “Epicentre”.

How it works

Three steps. No GP needed.

Order online, take your sample at home, and we collect it from you.

1

Order online

R1,609. Pay by card, Instant EFT or Payflex. Have the kit delivered, or collect it from a branch or pickup point.

2

Take a swab and urine sample

A swab and a midstream urine sample, collected at home in about five minutes. No fasting, no blood. See how

3

Get results in 5 to 7 working days

Emailed to you privately, encrypted, as a plain-language report you can share with your doctor.

How to take your sample

It takes about five minutes: the swab in your kit, then a urine sample. The swab matters because the organisms behind UTIs often travel from the vagina or the penis into the urinary tract, so the lab tests both samples. The instruction sheet in your box shows every step with pictures.

Before you start: don’t pee for at least 1 hour before you collect, and wash your hands before and after.

Pink kit

The vaginal swab

  1. Take the swab out of its tube. Don’t touch the soft tip.
  2. Insert the swab into your vagina.
  3. Gently rotate it clockwise for 10 to 30 seconds.
  4. Put it back in the tube and close the lid firmly. Wash your hands.
Blue kit

The urethral swab

  1. Take the swab out of its tube. Don’t touch the soft tip.
  2. Insert the swab 2 to 4 cm into the urethra, the opening at the tip of the penis.
  3. Gently rotate it clockwise for 2 to 3 seconds.
  4. Put it back in the tube and close the lid firmly. Wash your hands.
Both kits

The urine sample

  1. Wash your hands and open the jar, ideally next to the toilet.
  2. Clean yourself with toilet paper. If you have a vulva, wipe from front to back.
  3. Start peeing into the toilet, then fill the jar halfway from the middle of the stream.
  4. Close the lid firmly, then stretch the seal strip tightly around the lid so it can’t leak.

Sending it back

  1. Sign the formRead the information sheet, sign the consent form and put it back in the box.
  2. Pack your samplesPut the swab and the jar in the zip-lock bag, and the bag in the box.
  3. Send us a photoWhatsApp a photo of the open box to 072 843 7564. We’ll check everything is there.
  4. Seal it and we’ll collectSeal the box with the sticker. We book The Courier Guy to collect it from you, and you can track it online.

Where to collect your kit

Prefer not to have it delivered? Choose Pick up at checkout and pick a location. Take your sample at home, then we collect it from you, just as with a delivered kit.

  • All kits Epicentre branches, including gut health kits
  • Sexual health kits Partner practices and pharmacies: sexual health, HPV, UTI and BV kits

Cape Town

Stellenbosch

Durban

Johannesburg

Partner practices and pharmacies keep their own opening hours, so check with them before you go. Gut health kits are only at our branches or by courier.

25
Years serving
South Africans
100k+
Confidential tests
completed
4.5★
3 branches
Google rating
SANAS
Accredited lab,
GCP & GCLP certified
Common questions

Quick answers

Tap a question to expand.

PCR adds value when standard treatment isn't working, when you have recurring infections, or when you want to know whether the cause is bacterial or fungal before treatment is prescribed. For a first UTI with classic symptoms, a clinic dipstick may be enough. For complicated or recurring cases, identifying the organism is what changes the treatment plan.
No referral required. Order online or walk in during opening hours. Open to the public since 2001.
Yes. UTIs are more common in women and people assigned female at birth due to shorter urethras, but anyone with a urinary tract can develop one. Your kit comes with the right swab for your body, plus a urine sample pot.
Your plain-language report names the organism found, so your doctor can choose a treatment that targets it. Take it to your own GP, or we can put you in touch with a doctor we work with. This test diagnoses the infection: treatment is arranged separately.
Yes. We post the kit to you, you collect a swab and a urine sample at home, then WhatsApp us a photo of the packed box and we book the courier to collect it. Delivery and the return courier are free within 10km of our Observatory, Hillcrest and Parktown North branches, and R300 anywhere else in South Africa.
The kit comes in two versions: a pink label with a vaginal swab, and a blue label with a urethral swab. After you order, we call to check which one suits your body. The test and the price are the same either way.
No. The kit arrives in a plain Courier Guy bag, and you can tick “Plain box, no label” at checkout for an unmarked box as well. Your bank statement shows only “Epicentre”. Your results are emailed to you, encrypted.
If you have a fever, pain in your back or side, or blood in your urine, see a doctor or go to an emergency unit today. Those signs need treatment straight away, before a lab result comes back.
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Reviewed by the Epicentre clinical team. SANAS-accredited lab, GCP and GCLP certified. Founded 2001.
Last reviewed: October 2026

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R1,609 PCR · 11 pathogens