True or False? The first step in the urine specimen collection process is washing your hands with soap and water.

The correct answer is that the first step in the urine specimen collection process is indeed to wash your hands with soap and water. This foundational step is crucial as it helps prevent contamination of the urine sample, ensuring accurate results. Clean hands reduce the risk of transferring bacteria or foreign substances from your hands to the specimen, which is essential for maintaining the integrity of the test being conducted.

While it might be tempting to think of other steps as the first, such as preparing the collection container or performing the collection itself, proper hand hygiene is universally recognized as the essential starting point in any biological specimen collection process. It is part of standard protocols to ensure safety and effectiveness in medical procedures.