These are the questions women ask most often about the O-Shot® procedure. I’ve tried to answer them plainly. If your question isn’t here, ask it on our Reviews & Questions page (no name or email required), or talk with a certified provider near you. — Charles Runels, MD
What is the O-Shot® procedure?
The O-Shot® (also called the Orchid Shot®) uses platelet-rich plasma (PRP) made from a woman’s own blood. The PRP is placed into specific areas of the vaginal and clitoral tissue. PRP is the part of your blood your body normally uses to repair tissue, and research shows it can improve blood flow, increase collagen, regenerate nerve, and remodel scar tissue.
What problems do women ask about it for?
Women commonly ask about the O-Shot® procedure for low desire, trouble with arousal or orgasm, stress or urge urinary incontinence, dryness and painful sex after menopause or breast cancer treatment, lichen sclerosus, lichen planus, pain from childbirth trauma or episiotomy scars, pain from mesh, and interstitial cystitis.
It doesn’t help everyone, and every woman is different. A consultation with a certified provider is the way to find out whether it makes sense for you.
Where does the PRP come from? Could I catch something from someone else?
Always from your own blood. Providers use FDA-approved, single-use kits to prepare it, then throw the kit away before the next patient. Many providers process the blood in the same room so you can see it’s yours. There is no chance of catching something from another person.
Is it safe? What are the side effects?
Among the more than 9,000 research papers on PRP in PubMed, none have reported serious life-threatening side effects. That makes sense: we’re using the blood component your body makes to heal itself.
Early on (the first few weeks), you may notice effects from the fluid itself, good or bad, and those go away. Lasting changes come from new tissue growth. Any sign of a problem should be reported to your provider. Read more on our safety page, including the actual consent form.
Is the O-Shot® procedure FDA approved?
The FDA regulates foods, drugs, and devices, not procedures, and not a person’s own minimally processed blood. So the O-Shot® is not an “FDA-approved procedure,” and no one should tell you it is. Our providers agree to prepare the PRP with an FDA-approved device.
Does it hurt?
Comfort depends a great deal on the skill of the person doing it and on exactly where the injection is placed. Done well, it can be close to painless; done poorly, it can hurt. That’s one reason to choose a provider trained by the Cellular Medicine Association.
How soon will I notice results?
Lasting results come from new cell growth, which takes roughly 3 to 12 weeks, and tissue can keep remodeling after that. Anything you notice in the first three weeks is mostly from the PRP itself and is temporary. Results vary from woman to woman.
How much does it cost? Does insurance cover it?
Each provider sets their own price, so ask the provider you choose. Cellular medicine procedures like the O-Shot® are generally not reimbursed by insurance.
What should I expect after the procedure?
Dr. Runels recorded a detailed explanation of what to expect afterward, including what’s normal and what isn’t. Listen to it here.
How is the O-Shot® different from the G-Shot®?
They use different materials and techniques. Dr. Runels explains the difference, and why he considers the O-Shot® safer, in this video.
How do I know my provider is really trained?
Only providers trained and licensed by the Cellular Medicine Association appear in our official directory. If someone offers an “O-Shot” and isn’t listed, ask why.
Is there research?
Yes. You can read the published studies, with links to each paper, on our research page.
Results may vary. This page is for education and is not a substitute for a consultation with your own physician.
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