Women's Health / Vaginitis Panel

Most vaginal symptoms — abnormal discharge, odor, itching, burning, or irritation — come down to one of three causes: bacterial vaginosis (BV), a yeast infection, or trichomoniasis. The problem is that these three feel remarkably similar, and they're very easy to get wrong. Studies consistently show that diagnosing by symptoms alone — including self-diagnosis before reaching for an over-the-counter treatment — is unreliable, and the treatments don't cross over: an antifungal won't touch BV, and an antibiotic won't resolve a yeast infection. Treating the wrong cause wastes time, prolongs discomfort, and can make symptoms worse.

What sets this panel apart is that it doesn't just look for what's causing trouble — it also measures the protective bacteria that define a healthy vaginal microbiome. Bacterial vaginosis in particular isn't a single infection; it's a shift away from beneficial Lactobacillus species toward an overgrowth of other organisms. By measuring both sides of that balance, this panel gives a true picture of vaginal health rather than a simple yes/no on a single organism.

This panel uses PCR to test a single swab for 22 targets — the organisms behind the three most common vaginal conditions, plus the key protective bacteria that should be present in a healthy microbiome.

Who this test is for

• Abnormal discharge, odor (especially a fishy smell), itching, burning, or irritation that you want explained accurately
• Recurrent BV or recurrent yeast infections that keep returning despite treatment
• Symptoms that didn't clear with an over-the-counter product — often a sign the original self-diagnosis was wrong
• A desire to understand your vaginal microbiome balance, whether for ongoing symptoms or proactive vaginal health
• Pregnancy or planning to conceive, where BV and Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Strep) are relevant to outcomes
• Symptoms that overlap with, but may not be, a sexually transmitted infection — this panel helps sort that out

What it covers

The panel measures protective flora — Lactobacillus crispatus, jensenii, gasseri, and iners — alongside the BV-associated organisms that overgrow when that balance is disrupted: Gardnerella vaginalis, Fannyhessea vaginae, Megasphaera phylotypes 1 and 2, Prevotella bivia, Mobiluncus curtisii and mulieris, and BVAB2. It also detects yeast (Candida albicans, glabrata, parapsilosis, and tropicalis), trichomoniasis (Trichomonas vaginalis), and other clinically relevant organisms including E. coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Group B Strep.

Why PCR

• It tells the three big causes apart — definitively. Because BV, yeast, and trichomoniasis are so easily confused, accurately distinguishing them is the single most valuable thing this test does.
• It reads the whole microbiome. PCR can detect and characterize the protective Lactobacillus species and the balance between healthy and disruptive bacteria — something traditional wet-mount microscopy can't meaningfully do.
• It catches what culture misses. Many BV-associated organisms (Fannyhessea, Megasphaera, Mobiluncus) are fastidious anaerobes that grow poorly or not at all on standard culture.
• It's more sensitive than the in-office standard. PCR is considerably more reliable than wet-mount microscopy, which depends heavily on technique and frequently misses infections.
• It's comprehensive and convenient. One swab covers all 22 targets at once, including possible mixed infections where more than one condition is present.