Diagnostics · Reproductive health
Vaginal Microbiome Testing
Unlike many direct-to-consumer microbiome tests, we don't leave you to navigate your results alone. If treatment is needed, we coordinate the next steps, from interpreting your results and advising on partner treatment to arranging prescribing and follow-up testing.
At a glance
Emerging£325
- Sample
- Vaginal swab
- Where
- At home, returned by post
- Results
- 14 days
- Relevant to
- Vaginal health, Fertility, IVF, Recurrent miscarriage
Not sure yet? Check with Verity First
Testing is the easy part. Treatment is where most people get stuck.
Many vaginal microbiome companies can tell you which bacteria are present. Far fewer help you understand what the results mean for your fertility, whether treatment is necessary, or how to get appropriate antibiotics. We regularly see patients who've paid for private testing and then can't get treatment through their GP or fertility clinic.
We don't just provide a laboratory report. We interpret your results in the context of your fertility history and coordinate prescribing through our specialist prescribing partners where treatment is appropriate, so you can move from testing to treatment without having to navigate the system yourself.
Before you order
- What's included
- Home testing kit with prepaid return
- Shotgun metagenomic sequencing by Salient Bio
- Explanation of your results and treatment recommendations
- Not included
- Prescription service (from £90)
- Cost of any medication
- After your results
Results forwarded with a Truth Fertility review, including guidance and a treatment plan where it's indicated. We can coordinate prescriptions if you need them.
How it works
Take your sample
Your home testing kit arrives by post. Collect your vaginal swab at home and return it using the prepaid packaging.
Receive your personalised results
Your sample is analysed by our partner Salient Bio using advanced sequencing, identifying both beneficial and disruptive bacteria that may influence fertility and pregnancy outcomes.
We guide you through the next steps
We'll explain what your results mean, recommend evidence-based treatment where appropriate, coordinate prescriptions if needed, and help you prepare before trying to conceive or starting fertility treatment.
Why we use shotgun sequencing
Not all vaginal microbiome tests are created equal
Traditional PCR-based tests only look for a predefined list of bacteria. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing analyses all of the microbial DNA in your sample, giving a far more complete picture of both beneficial and potentially harmful bacteria, and how much of each is present.
For fertility, that matters because outcomes are often influenced by the overall balance of the microbiome, rather than a single organism.
Benefits of shotgun sequencing
- 1The whole microbiome, not a limited panel
- 2Species-level identification
- 3Greater sensitivity to organisms other tests can miss
- 4Relative amounts, not just present or absent
- 5Able to identify new bacteria as research evolves
Prices
Vaginal microbiome test
£325
Home swab, sequencing and interpretation
£295 for existing Truth Fertility patients
Prescription service
£90
If treatment is needed
Per person, or £150 for a couple
Why the vaginal microbiome matters
Why does bacterial vaginosis matter for fertility?
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) and BV-associated bacteria can affect fertility and pregnancy outcomes, even in women with no obvious symptoms. Studies have linked BV with a two- to threefold increase in the risk of miscarriage and preterm birth, and BV-associated organisms such as Gardnerella vaginalis and Atopobium vaginae are more common in women experiencing recurrent miscarriage and implantation failure.
Many of our patients who test positive are completely asymptomatic, so they wouldn't otherwise have known.
What about Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma?
Testing can also detect Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma, which are known to affect both female and male fertility. In women they've been associated with chronic inflammation and scarring in the uterus or fallopian tubes. In men they've been linked to lower motility and increased DNA fragmentation.
When clinically significant bacteria are found, treatment is coordinated through our specialist prescribing partners, and where appropriate both partners can be treated to reduce the risk of reinfection.
Free guide: Understanding Your Vaginal Microbiome. What a healthy vaginal microbiome looks like, what can disrupt it, what testing can reveal and what happens if treatment is needed.Download →
Download →
Would you like advice first?
If you'd like to talk through whether testing is right for you, or what your results mean, we can help.
Fertility initial consultation
£18060 minutes. A full review of your case and existing tests, which diagnostics might be missing, and a personalised plan.
Not sure where to start?
Check with Verity First
£35Send a short account of your journey and your existing results, and Verity will suggest the most useful next step. It's a brief review rather than a full treatment plan, and the £35 can be credited towards a later consultation or acupuncture appointment.