It's no secret that vaginal health can impact a woman's life in a multitude of ways. From personal comfort to overall wellbeing, it's vital to maintain healthy vaginal health. But what exactly is optimal vaginal health, and how can you tell if you have it? The answer lies within the vaginal microbiome. The vaginal microbiome is a complex ecosystem of microorganisms that live in the vaginal canal. And now, with the help of the Vaginal Microbiome Test, it's easier than ever to unlock the secret to optimum vaginal health.
There is more and more interest being shown in accurately identifying organisms (in terms of quality and quantity) within the vagina - both from healthcare professionals and individuals. Research has repeatedly demonstrated that the correct balance of organisms within the vagina is important not only for the health of women, but also their unborn babies, and newborns. There are approximately 1 billion women affected each year around the world by urogenital infections, including forms of vaginitis, not all of which are necessarily transmitted sexually. Bacterial vaginosis (again, not a sexually transmitted infection) alone affects 21 million women annually and is the most common vaginal condition affecting premenopausal women. It is now known that a healthy vaginal biome can also protect against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), the virus that is the cause of cervical cancer. All these afflictions - often not detected - can seriously affect quality of life, often without the woman even being aware.
Up until very recently, there has been no accurate test available to identify and quantify the types of organisms present - PCR technology now allows accurate identification of all species that reside healthily (or otherwise) within the vagina. Armed with this knowledge, steps can be taken to correct any imbalances, with noticeable (and maybe also more subtle) improvements to your health.
The Blue Horizon Vaginal Microbiome test is conducted at fully accredited and cutting edge laboratory. Not all microbiome tests are the same! Our test (qPCR, 16srRNA amplicon sequencing) looks at the whole biome and is sensitive enough to identify all species present. Be wary if you see lower priced offers - do ensure the test is as comprehensive and accurate as the one we offer.
In addition, we can offer (for an extra charge) a test for two of the most common sexually transmitted diseases - Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea - this can be ordered as a separate test alone, or in addition to the vaginal microbiome test.
