Frequently Asked Questions about Vaginal Microbiome Transplant
How are donations tested to be sure they are safe?
We test our donors before they start donation, at the end of donation and a month after they finish donation – which ensures that we catch any viral infection that occurs during their donation window. We ask donors to not have sex during the entire time they are donating.
We test donors for HIV, Hepatitis (A, B, C), Herpes, Syphilis, HPV, CMV (cytomegalovirus), HTLV (human T lymphotrophic virus), COVID19, Mono (Epstein Bar virus), gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomonas, yeast, mycoplasma.
We test each donation for semen, HPV and COVID.
How do people donate vaginal fluid?
Donors place a disposable menstrual cup in the vagina the night before coming to clinic. When they arrive, they remove the menstrual cup, and we collect the vaginal fluid from that. Donors do not donate when menstruating.
How do you do the vaginal fluid transplant?
The clinical provider will do a speculum exam, and after collecting some research swabs, will use a sterile eyedropper or pipette to place the vaginal fluid (or placebo saline) in the participant’s vagina. The speculum is then removed and the participant lies flat for about 15 minutes. Each participant will get 2 doses, 48-72 hours apart.