Have your supplies ready. Wash your hands with soap and warm water. Dry them well. Wash your genitals with soap and water. Rinse and dry well. Holding it at the funnel end remove the catheter from its package. Lubricate 2 to 4 inches of the catheter tip. If you need practicing finding your urethra, spread your labia with one hand. Using a mirror, look for the urethral opening above the vagina. To insert the catheter, sit on the toilet, spread your labia with one hand, insert the lubricated tip into your urethra, push the catheter to your bladder, do not force it. If you feel resistance, pause and relax, then continue to push. When you see urine in the catheter, lower the catheter, so urine flows into the toilet. When urine stops flowing, pull the catheter out an inch or two until it flows again. Repeat until no more urine flows. Remove the catheter. Put it back into its package and throw it away. Wash your hands.
Featured in
Online Medical Reviewer: Greenstein, Marc, MD
Online Medical Reviewer: Turley, Raymond Kent, BSN, MSN
Date Last Reviewed: 07/01/2021
© 2000-2025 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.
Find the right provider to meet your needs
From primary care to specialty services and more.
Find a Doctor
Call for an Appointment
Offering personalized care at more than 20 clinics across three cities and two states.
Call NowRelated Articles
The Importance of Adult Immunizations
Understand what a vaccine is and how it works to protect you, as well as those around you, from the germs that are all around us.
Adult Immunizations: An Overview
Understand that there are disease causing germs all around us, but you can be protected from many of them by being vaccinated. Also, learn how a vaccine works in the body and recognize the importance of staying up to date with all of your vaccines.
Adult Immunizations: Pneumococcal
Learn how pneumococcal bacteria spread and the different types of illnesses an infection can cause. Also, understand that the best way to be protected is to be vaccinated and that most people need two vaccines to fully prevent all types of the disease.
Things to Remember When Getting a Vaccine
Watch this video for tips to prepare for a vaccine and what to expect after you get vaccinated.