Vaginal Microbiome Testing for Fertility

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 where appropriate, to arranging specialist prescribing and follow-up testing.

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 actually mean for your fertility, whether treatment is necessary, or how to access appropriate antibiotics.

We regularly see patients who have paid for private microbiome testing only to find themselves unable to obtain treatment through their GP or fertility clinic.

At Truth Fertility, we don't simply 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 clinically appropriate. This means you can move seamlessly from testing to treatment, without the frustration of trying to navigate the healthcare system yourself.

Understanding Vaginal Microbiome and its Role in Fertility

We partner with Salient Bio, a leading provider of microbiome testing, to offer vaginal microbiome testing - a simple, discreet way to better understand how your vaginal environment may be impacting fertility, implantation, and pregnancy outcomes.

Understanding your vaginal microbiome can reveal hidden causes of recurrent implantation failure, miscarriage, or unexplained infertility, allowing for targeted treatment and improved reproductive health.

At Truth Fertility, we integrate these results with our wider diagnostic insights to provide personalised, evidence-based recommendations to optimise your fertility journey.

How it works

Take your sample

Your home testing kit arrives by post. Simply collect your vaginal swab at home and return it to the laboratory using the prepaid packaging.

Receive your personalised results

Your sample is analysed using advanced sequencing technology to identify both beneficial and disruptive bacteria that may influence fertility and pregnancy outcomes.

We'll guide you through the next steps

We'll explain what your results mean, recommend evidence-based treatment where appropriate, coordinate prescriptions if required, and help you optimise your vaginal microbiome before trying to conceive or undergoing fertility treatment.

Free guide: Understanding Your Vaginal Microbiome

Want to understand more before deciding whether to test?

Download our free practical guide to the vaginal microbiome, fertility and treatment. Learn what a healthy vaginal microbiome looks like, what can disrupt it, what testing can reveal and what may happen if treatment is needed.

Download

Understanding The Vaginal Microbiome

Understanding the role of your vaginal microbiome is crucial for reproductive health. In our featured blog post, we delve into how the balance of bacteria in the vaginal environment can influence fertility, implantation success, and pregnancy outcomes. Explore insights on maintaining a healthy microbiome and the potential benefits of testing to inform your fertility journey.

The Importance of a Healthy Vaginal Microbiome

Discover how the vaginal microbiome affects fertility — from the benefits of Lactobacillus crispatus to testing and treatment options.

Why Bacterial Vaginosis Matters In Fertility

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) and BV-associated bacteria can have a profound effect on fertility and pregnancy outcomes, even in women with no obvious symptoms. Studies have shown that BV is linked to a two- to threefold increase in the risk of miscarriage and preterm birth.

A 2019 meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology found that women with BV had significantly higher odds of early pregnancy loss and adverse reproductive outcomes. Similarly, research in Human Reproduction (Klebanoff et al., 2010) and BJOG (Ralph et al., 2015) demonstrated that BV-associated organisms, such as Gardnerella vaginalis and Atopobium vaginae, are more prevalent in women experiencing recurrent miscarriage and implantation failure.

Importantly, many of our patients who test positive for BV or BV-associated bacteria are completely asymptomatic, meaning they would not otherwise have known that these imbalances were present.

By identifying and addressing these hidden microbial patterns through vaginal microbiome testing, we can take proactive steps to improve the uterine environment, reduce miscarriage risk, and support a healthier, more stable foundation for conception and pregnancy.

Ureaplasma, Mycoplasma and Their Role in Fertility

Vaginal microbiome testing can also detect bacteria such as Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma - organisms known to affect both female and male fertility. In women, these bacteria have been associated with chronic inflammation and scarring within the uterus or fallopian tubes, which can interfere with implantation and increase the risk of miscarriage.

In men, Ureaplasma and Mycoplasma have been linked to reduced semen quality, including lower motility and increased DNA fragmentation. By identifying these infections through testing, we can address issues that might otherwise go unnoticed and continue to impact both partners.

When clinically significant bacteria are identified, treatment is coordinated through our specialist prescribing partners. Where appropriate, targeted antibiotics can be prescribed for both partners, helping to reduce the risk of reinfection and support improvements in semen quality and fertility outcomes.

Why test through Truth Fertility?

✔ Interpretation by fertility experts

✔ Evidence-based recommendations

✔ Partner treatment when appropriate

✔ Access to specialist prescribing

✔ Ongoing fertility advice - not just a lab report

✔ Follow-up testing if needed

Why We Use Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing

Not all vaginal microbiome tests are created equal.

At Truth Fertility, we use shotgun metagenomic sequencing - one of the most advanced methods currently available for analysing the vaginal microbiome.

Unlike traditional PCR-based tests, which look only for a predefined list of bacteria, shotgun sequencing analyses all of the microbial DNA present within your sample. This provides a far more comprehensive picture of your vaginal ecosystem, identifying both beneficial and potentially harmful bacteria, as well as their relative abundance.

For fertility patients, this matters because reproductive outcomes are often influenced by the overall balance of the microbiome, rather than the presence or absence of a single organism.

Benefits of shotgun sequencing

Comprehensive analysis of the entire vaginal microbiome rather than a limited panel of organisms.
Species-level identification, allowing closely related bacteria to be distinguished accurately.
Greater sensitivity, helping detect organisms that may be missed by targeted testing.
Quantitative results, showing the relative abundance of different bacteria rather than simply whether they are present.
Future-proof technology, capable of identifying emerging bacteria as research evolves, without needing to redesign the test.

Our aim is not simply to detect bacteria, but to understand how your unique microbiome may be influencing implantation, miscarriage risk and reproductive health, allowing treatment to be tailored to your individual results.

Price List

Vaginal Microbiome Test

£295 Existing Truth Fertility patients

£325 New patients

Prescription Service

£90 single person

£150 couple

* excludes cost of medication

Order A Test

For vaginal microbiome tests simply drop us an email and our team will be happy to organise this for you.