By Gabrielle Gleeson-Solomon, CEO of Tota
Your Tota results give you detailed information about the microbes found in your urinary or vaginal sample. They can help you understand what may be happening in your microbiome and provide useful information to discuss with a healthcare professional.
A doctor can review your results alongside your symptoms, medical history and any previous tests or treatments, and advise you on what to do next. This guide will help you prepare for that conversation and leave your appointment with a clear plan.
As you work through this guide, jot down your thoughts and questions in a notebook or your phone’s notes app. You can refer to them during your appointment, so you don’t have to remember everything on the spot.
Preparing for your appointment
Start with why you took the test
Write down one sentence explaining why you decided to take a Tota test. This will help you introduce your results clearly and give your doctor useful context.
For example, you may have new or ongoing symptoms, symptoms that keep returning, a negative urine test or a normal vaginal swab that did not explain how you feel, or you may want to understand your microbiome after a course of treatment.
Your sentence could be as simple as: “I took this test because [your reason]. I’d like to understand what the results mean and what you recommend I do next (to help my symptoms).”
Write down what’s been happening
A few notes about what was happening before and around the time of your test will help your doctor build a clearer picture of what has been going on. This applies to men too, whose urinary symptoms are often missed for different reasons.
Include anything relevant, such as:
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Your symptoms, when they started and how often they happen
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Whether you had symptoms when you collected your sample
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Patterns or triggers you have noticed
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Previous urine, vaginal or STI tests
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Treatments you have tried and whether they helped
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Recent antibiotics, antifungals or probiotics
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Relevant medicines, contraception or health conditions
You do not need to write your full medical memoir. A short timeline or a few bullet points will do.
Share your results in advance, if possible
When booking your appointment, you may be able to add a note explaining what you would like to discuss and attach your Tota report.
Microbiome testing may not be something your doctor works with every day. Letting them know in advance gives them a chance to familiarise themselves with the test and review your results before you meet.
You could write: “I’ve taken a Tota vaginal/urinary microbiome test and would like to discuss my results and the possible next steps or treatment options. I’ve attached my report for the doctor to review before the appointment.”
If you cannot send it in advance, have the report ready on your phone or bring a printed copy.
Think about what you’d like from the appointment
Decide what a useful outcome would look like for you. This might be understanding your results better, exploring whether they explain your symptoms, discussing treatment or agreeing what should happen if your symptoms continue or return.
Choose the two or three outcomes that matter most and add them to your notes. This will help keep the conversation focused.
Write down your questions
Depending on your results and the reason you tested, you might want to ask:
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Could you talk me through my results and what they indicate about my microbiome?
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Is there anything in my results which might be contributing to my symptoms? If not, what else might we need to investigate?
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Looking at my results, symptoms and medical history together, what would you recommend?
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If I do not have symptoms, do I need to take any action?
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What changes should I expect if things are improving, and how long might that take?
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What should I do if my symptoms do not improve or return?
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Would it be helpful for me to see a specialist?
Choose the questions most relevant to you. There is nothing more annoying than remembering your most important question on the way home.
If you would feel more comfortable with some support, you can also bring someone you trust to listen or take notes.
During your appointment
Introduce the test and your results
If your doctor is unfamiliar with Tota, explain that it is an at-home vaginal or urinary microbiome test. It uses non-targeted DNA sequencing to identify the bacteria and fungi found in your sample. The results can highlight organisms that published research associates with conditions such as bacterial vaginosis, thrush or urinary symptoms.
Your report clearly summarises what was found, so you do not need to explain the science yourself. Ask your doctor to review the results alongside your symptoms and medical history, then discuss what they think is happening and whether any action is recommended.
Leave with a clear plan
Before the appointment ends, check that you understand:
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What your doctor thinks the results show
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Whether any action or further tests are recommended
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What improvement you should expect and when
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What to do if your symptoms continue or return
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Whether you need a follow-up appointment or specialist referral
A useful final question is: “Just so I’m clear, what are the next steps from here and what do we expect them to achieve?”
If anything is unclear, ask your doctor to explain it again or write it down. Asking twice is much better than going home unsure about what happens next.
If the conversation doesn't go as you hoped
If your doctor is unfamiliar with the test
Not every doctor will have experience working with microbiome test results. If your doctor does not feel able to advise you, ask who would be better placed to review the findings alongside your symptoms and recommend what to do next. This might be another clinician at the practice or a relevant specialist.
You could say: “Who would be best placed to review these results alongside my symptoms and advise me on the most appropriate next steps?”
If you do not feel heard
Being told everything looks normal when you do not feel normal is a common experience and you are not alone in it.
If you feel during the appointment that your symptoms, results or questions have not been properly considered, try bringing the conversation back to your main concern: “I’m still concerned about [your symptoms or results]. Could you explain what you recommend I do next?”
If you are in the UK and leave without feeling that your concerns have been addressed, you can make another appointment with a different GP or ask whether a referral to a relevant specialist, such as a urologist or gynaecologist, would be appropriate.
You can also ask for a second opinion. Your doctor or surgery should listen to your request and discuss the options available, although a referral for another NHS opinion is not automatically guaranteed.
Take your time
Take your time and do not feel pressured to end the conversation before you are clear on what has been agreed. Before the appointment finishes, check your notes to make sure you have asked your most important questions and understand what happens next.
Other resources you might find useful
These organisations are independent of Tota and their materials cover urinary symptoms rather than vaginal health, so they will not be relevant to everyone.
Live UTI Free publishes a Take To Your Doctor guide, with a summary of published research written for healthcare professionals and a companion guide for patients.
CUTIC, the Chronic Urinary Tract Infection Campaign, is a patient-led campaign group for people with chronic UTIs. It publishes information on chronic infections and how they can be missed by standard testing.
Bladder Health UK is a national charity supporting people with bladder conditions. Its confidential advice line is staffed by specialist nurses and by people who have lived with these conditions.
One last thing
You do not need to memorise every microorganism in your report or arrive with a diagnosis already worked out. Your job is to explain why you took the test, share what has been happening and ask about anything you do not understand.
A little preparation can help you ask the right questions, understand your options and agree a clear plan with your doctor.
We’re always here to help. If you have questions about your report or how the test works, email us at hello@tota.bio. We can help you understand what your report shows, though we cannot advise on your health or your treatment, which is a conversation for your healthcare professional.
If you haven’t yet ordered a test but are curious about what results you’d get, you can check out Tota’s sample report.
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