Getting a GI-MAP test requires a healthcare practitioner’s order. You cannot purchase the test directly from the lab on your own. A functional medicine doctor, naturopath, or integrative health practitioner typically orders the kit, which is then shipped to your home for stool sample collection. The entire process, from ordering to receiving results, takes roughly two to three weeks.
What the GI-MAP Test Measures
The GI-MAP (GI Microbial Assay Plus) is a comprehensive stool test that uses DNA-based technology to detect and quantify microorganisms in your gut. Unlike traditional stool cultures, which grow bacteria in a lab dish and can miss organisms that are difficult to culture, this test identifies microbial DNA directly. That means it doesn’t just tell you what’s present; it measures how much of each organism is there, which helps determine whether a finding is clinically meaningful or just normal background flora.
The test screens for a wide range of targets: bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. It also includes markers for intestinal inflammation, immune function, pancreatic enzyme output, and hidden blood in the stool. For people with H. pylori infections specifically, it can identify antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors, giving practitioners more precise information for treatment planning.
Who Typically Orders This Test
The GI-MAP is most commonly ordered for people dealing with persistent digestive symptoms like bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, or abdominal pain that haven’t been fully explained by conventional testing. It’s also used for people with inflammatory bowel conditions like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, recurrent gut infections, or a history of food poisoning.
What surprises many people is that the test is also relevant for symptoms that seem unrelated to digestion. Skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis, chronic fatigue, mood swings, and even depression and anxiety have all been linked to gut imbalances. An unhealthy gut doesn’t just cause cramping and bloating. It can drive systemic issues that show up far from your digestive tract.
Step-by-Step: How to Get the Test
Find a Practitioner
Because the GI-MAP requires a practitioner order, your first step is finding someone authorized to request it. Functional medicine doctors, naturopathic physicians, and integrative health practitioners are the most common providers who use this test. If your current doctor doesn’t offer it, Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory (the company that makes the GI-MAP) can help you find a practitioner in your area through their website.
Some practitioners work with ordering platforms like Rupa Health, which connects patients with providers who can order from over 30 specialty lab companies in one place. In many cases, you can work with a remote practitioner through a telehealth consultation, so you’re not limited to providers in your city.
Order and Receive Your Kit
Once your practitioner places the order, a collection kit is shipped to your home. The kit includes a specimen vial with a built-in collection spoon, preservative fluid, and a prepaid FedEx Clinical Pak mailer for return shipping. No blood draw or office visit is needed for the collection itself.
Collect Your Sample
Collection is straightforward but does require following the instructions carefully. Try to urinate before collecting your stool to avoid contaminating the sample. Using the spoon attached to the vial’s cap, scoop stool from at least four different areas of the sample (moving left to right) rather than from a single spot. Fill the vial above the fill line marked on the label. Then mix the stool thoroughly with the preservative fluid using the spoon, replace the cap tightly, and shake the vial vigorously for 30 seconds.
You do not need to stop taking prescription medications unless your doctor tells you to. If you can’t ship the sample the same day you collect it, refrigerate it and ship as soon as possible, ideally within three days. The lab must receive the sample within eight days of collection. Ship Monday through Friday only, and mark the FedEx mailer as “Exempt Human Specimen.”
Wait for Results
Current turnaround time is 7 to 10 business days from when the lab receives your sample. Your provider will notify you when results are ready and schedule a follow-up appointment to walk through the findings and discuss next steps.
What It Costs
The GI-MAP is almost always an out-of-pocket expense. Insurance does not typically cover it. The total cost ranges from $350 to $600 depending on the provider and whether additional biomarkers are included. That price generally breaks down into two parts: lab processing runs around $250 to $350, while the practitioner’s interpretation and consultation fee adds another $100 to $300 depending on their experience and how in-depth the review is.
Some comprehensive stool panel packages that bundle the GI-MAP with extra markers can run as high as $800. Before ordering, ask your practitioner exactly what’s included in their price so you know whether the consultation fee is separate.
What Happens After You Get Results
The GI-MAP report is detailed and highly technical. It lists quantified levels of dozens of organisms alongside reference ranges, color-coded to flag values that fall outside normal. Your practitioner uses this data to identify infections that need immediate treatment, areas of gut function that are already healthy, and imbalances that can be addressed over time in a specific sequence.
For example, a practitioner might prioritize clearing a parasitic infection before working on rebuilding beneficial bacteria levels, since those two goals can require different and sometimes conflicting approaches. The quantitative nature of the test also makes it useful for retesting after treatment to confirm that an intervention actually worked, rather than relying on symptom improvement alone.
Most people receive a personalized protocol that may include dietary changes, targeted supplements, or in some cases prescription treatment for specific infections identified on the panel. The specifics depend entirely on what your results show.