Follow us on :
Google Linkedin-in Instagram Facebook-f Tiktok
The Luna Clinic Logo
Menu
Book Appointment

Vaginal Microbiome Testing

Advanced testing to understand the bacterial balance of your vaginal microbiome

If you keep getting bacterial vaginosis or thrush, treatment after treatment, without it ever really going away, the problem usually isn’t that you’re doing something wrong — it’s that repeat, non-specific treatment doesn’t address what’s actually keeping your vaginal microbiome out of balance.

Our Vaginal Microbiome Testing service analyses the bacterial balance of your vaginal microbiome directly, distinguishing a healthy, Lactobacillus-dominant balance from dysbiosis, so your treatment plan is guided by an actual result, not another round of guesswork.

Always interpreted by your consultant

This test isn’t reviewed in isolation. Your result is interpreted by your LUNA consultant alongside your full history and wider care — whether that’s recurrent infection, fertility investigations, or IVF preparation — so it leads to an actual plan, not just a lab report.

This may be for you if:

  • You experience recurrent bacterial vaginosis (BV) or thrush
  • You're undergoing fertility investigations for unexplained difficulty conceiving
  • Treatment has helped short-term but symptoms keep coming back
  • You're preparing for IVF and want your vaginal microbiome considered as part of that
Needing repeated treatment for the same infection isn’t a personal failing — it usually means the underlying imbalance hasn’t been properly identified.
Book a free 15-minute consultation

Your test

Your vaginal microbiome is normally dominated by Lactobacillus species, which keep the vaginal environment mildly acidic and help protect against overgrowth of other organisms. When that balance shifts — a state called dysbiosis — species such as Gardnerella vaginalis, Atopobium vaginae or Prevotella can become dominant instead, which is strongly associated with bacterial vaginosis and can make thrush more likely to recur. A standard swab usually only screens for one specific organism at a time; vaginal microbiome testing instead uses molecular analysis to map the full bacterial community present, giving a compositional picture rather than a single positive or negative result.

This matters clinically because two women with identical symptoms can have very different underlying microbiome profiles, and repeated “treat and hope” antibiotic or antifungal courses often fail to address the actual imbalance driving the symptoms. By identifying which organisms are dominant, and how far the balance has shifted from a healthy, Lactobacillus-dominant state, your consultant can target treatment — whether that’s a specific antimicrobial course, probiotic support aimed at restoring Lactobacillus dominance, or addressing contributing factors such as antibiotic use, hormonal changes or sexual health — rather than repeating the same non-specific treatment each time symptoms return.

What's included:

  • A simple vaginal swab test
  • Laboratory analysis of your vaginal microbiome balance
  • Consultant interpretation of your result alongside your history
  • A targeted treatment plan, rather than repeated non-specific treatmen

Clinical value & benefits

  • A specific, individual result — not a guess based on symptoms alone
  • Can help break the cycle of repeated, non-specific antibiotic or antifungal treatment
  • Can detect imbalance even without obvious symptoms, relevant to fertility and IVF preparation
  • Guides more targeted treatment, including probiotic support aimed at restoring a healthy balance

A targeted plan, not another repeat prescription

Microbiome balance can shift again over time — particularly around your cycle, after antibiotic use, or with a new sexual partner — so some women benefit from repeat testing rather than relying on a single result, especially if symptoms return. Where fertility is the context, this sits alongside — never replaces — your wider fertility investigations.

Why women choose this test at LUNA:

  • A specific result to act on, not another round of generic treatment
  • Honest guidance on where the evidence is well-established, and where it's still developing
  • Always interpreted alongside your full clinical picture, never in isolation

Related care

LUNA Fertility

if this test is part of your wider fertility investigations
Learn More

HYCOSY

for tubal assessment alongside your fertility work-up
Learn More

LUNA Gynaecology

For recurrent infection symptoms alongside other gynaecological concerns
Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions

What does vaginal microbiome testing involve?
A straightforward vaginal swab, which is sent for laboratory analysis. Your consultant will explain your results and what, if anything, they suggest for your treatment plan.
It can’t guarantee that, but understanding your specific microbiome balance means treatment can be targeted at the actual imbalance, rather than repeating the same non-specific treatment each time symptoms return.
There’s genuine, growing research interest in a link between microbiome balance and implantation or early pregnancy outcomes, but it’s still an active area of research rather than settled fact. Your consultant will explain what your result does and doesn’t tell you.
It’s most established for women with recurrent BV or thrush, but it’s also used, without necessarily having symptoms, as part of some fertility or IVF preparation pathways — your consultant can advise whether it’s relevant for you.
A standard swab typically looks for a specific infection. Microbiome testing gives a broader picture of the overall bacterial balance, which can explain patterns of recurrent symptoms that single-infection testing doesn’t fully capture.

Stop guessing, and get an actual answer

Book your Vaginal Microbiome Testing consultation today.
Book Appointment
Call 020 3137 6093