Frequently Asked Questions

  • Our donors have zero history of BV, yeast vaginitis, or sexually transmitted infections, and they answer a survey similar to those given to blood donors, but with additional questions specific to genitourinary health. Most who have applied to be donors become ineligible at this step.

    Those few incredibly healthy women who pass the survey round receive vaginal microbiome testing using the most advanced sequencing technology known to humans: whole genome sequencing. This unfortunately eliminates some others who have applied to be donors.

    The healthy women who meet the very high bar for vaginal microbiome health are then screened for pathogens, with tests including but not limited to:

    Blood:

    • CBC

    • CMP-14

    • Hemoglobin A1c

    • HIV 1 & 2

    • RPR (Rapid Plasma Reagin) with reflex to titer

    Hepatitis screening:

    • Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) Antibody, Total with reflex to IgM

    • Hepatitis B surface Antigen (HBsAg) (with reflex to confirm)

    • Hepatitis B Surface Antibody (anti-HBs)

    • Hepatitis B Core Antibody, Total (anti-HBc)

    • Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Antibody with reflex to Quantitative Real-time PCR

    TORCH panel:

    • Toxoplasma, IgM

    • Rubella, IgM

    • CMV, IgM

    • Parvovirus, IgM

    • Human T-Cell Lymphotropic Virus 1, 2 (HTLV-1/HTLV-2), Qualitative

    Urine:

    • Urinalysis (complete with microscopic evaluation)

    Vaginal swab:

    • Screening for BV: Includes visual assessment of fluid, microscopy for clue cells, whiff test, and pH measurement.

    • Cervical cytology

    • HPV DNA, High Risk, Cervical

    • Bacterial Vaginosis/Vaginitis Panel (Garnerella, Trich, Candida etc)

    • Chlamydia/Neisseria gonorrhoeae

    • Herpes Simplex Virus, Type 1 and 2

    • Mycoplasma/Ureaplasma Panel

    • Streptococcus Group A Culture

    • Streptococcus Group B Culture

  • Contact us at support@antheraVMT.com or 503.446.2353

    • Your first appointment will be a Zoom appointment

    • We may suggest more traditional therapies, like probiotics or prescription drugs, or we may recommend VMT

  • The initial 60-min telehealth appointment to review your health history costs $325

    • If you haven’t had vaginal microbiome testing, the test we use typically costs $199

    • The total cost of VMT depends on the number of doses needed, but typically averages between one and three thousand dollars depending on severity and duration of the condition.

    • Follow-up 30-min telehealth appointments are $240

  • Schedule your appointments for a time when you are not menstruating or ovulating

    • Abstain from using any intravaginal products at least 24h before and after your VMT appointments, if possible

    • Abstain from vaginal intercourse for 24h before and after your VMT appointments

    • Our office manager Payton can help you with any questions about lodging near the clinic, or things to do while you’re in Portland

    • Dr. Long believes that patients should be physically and emotionally comfortable during sensitive treatments like VMT, and her treatment approach and our clinical environment reflect that

  • No.

    Anthera uses three layers of caution to assure that there is no risk of our VMT products containing or being exposed to any amount of sperm

    1. Our donors sign a contract that they will not engage in any penis-in-vagina sex without barrier protection in the five days before collecting samples

    2. We use a light microscope to look at every single sample for the presence of sperm

    3. We use a PSA swab to test every single sample for the presence of any amount of semen

      Even though we have used three methods to assure the absence of sperm in our samples, we still ask patients to make sure they are not ovulating when they receive VMT