A system for withdrawing body fluid is described which has a housing with at least one opening and at least one lancet which is elongate and substantially straight in its original and unused form. The lancet has a distal end with a lancet tip for carrying out a lancing operation. The system also includes a drive unit for driving the lancet in a drive direction and at least one guide element which makes contact with the lancet at least during the lancing operation and guides the lancet movement such that the lancet is bent relative to the drive direction. The lancet can have a high restoring force such that it returns to its original substantially straight shape after contacting the guide element.
