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FMT Donor Screening Questionnaire: Stool Donor Eligibility & Testing Guide

Check the FMT page for virtually everything you need to know about Fecal Microbiota Transplants (FMT), including additional donor screening and testing information.

This FMT donor questionnaire is a comprehensive stool donor screening checklist used to evaluate eligibility and reduce risk for fecal microbiota transplant procedures. This guide covers how to select and screen a stool donor for FMT. Including what questions to ask a stool donor, and what the important considerations are.

Check the intro page to understand the importance of these questions, and for lots of info on the microbiome. Evidence throughout this wiki shows that nearly any condition can be transferred or cured via FMT.

The gut microbiome impacts/regulates the entire body. It is shaped by genetics, and affects genetic expression. Happiness, intelligence, and athleticism are some of the best signs. Younger is typically better since dysbiosis increases with age, and is looking to be the cause of most diseases associated with aging, including aging itself. Thus, the ultimate stool donor is likely something like a 2-18 year old Michael Jordan, or a guy like this who is both physically and mentally very fit:

Myron Rolle image

Keep in mind there are numerous highly accomplished athletes who wouldn't qualify. And there are many unaccomplished athletes, and even non-athletes, who would. HumanMicrobes.org has a blog post that expounds on this. They are screening millions of applicants to try to find highly effective stool donors.

This questionnaire is not exhaustive. If you think of something else, please include it. If there is something you don't want to disclose then please state that, instead of being untruthful about it.

For example, one person contracted their donor's sweet tooth, another person started having sleeping trouble after their FMT, a man experienced his mother's menopause symptoms when doing FMT from her, others have contracted obesity from their obese donors, depression from their depressed donor, others have reported hair loss or hair regrowth, others contracted dermatitis, another contracted their donor's cramping issues, ear issues, some body odors, food intolerances, etc.

And even if you don't transfer a specific condition, you transfer a dysbiotic gut microbiome which can have all sorts of detrimental effects. FMT is all about the risk-vs-reward ratio. Low-quality donors have a higher chance of harm and a lower chance of benefit. And the opposite for high-quality donors.

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Currently I believe kids are ideal stool donors for 3 reasons:

  1. Dysbiosis increases with age, often including an onset at puberty.
  2. Less likely to have taken antibiotics.
  3. They're unlikely to have picked up an STD.

Babies/toddlers might work but are a bit more risky since it's harder to judge their health & development till they get closer to adolescence. For these cases the health & diet of the parents becomes more important: https://humanmicrobiome.info/maternity

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It is probably generally a bad idea for parents to be stool donors for their kids, but there are occasional reports of parents being effective donors for their children. The reasons include:

  1. Much of the microbiome is heritable, so if a child has a dysbiotic gut there's a good chance they inherited that dysbiosis from their parents. See Origins and Maternity.
  2. Dysbiosis increases with age. https://humanmicrobiome.info/aging

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Questionnaire for an adult donor:

Download or print

  • Age?

  • Please see this stool chart and note your stool type: https://www.continence.org.au/sites/default/files/images/bristol_stool_chart.png

  • How consistently are your stools each type? Are there foods that cause changes in the type of stool you have? If so, which foods cause what changes?

  • How often do you have a bowel movement?

  • Do you have medical coverage for these screening tests? (I should be able to cover any copays) https://gut.bmj.com/content/66/4/569#boxed-text-3

  • Have you had past/recent blood tests? Any abnormal results?

  • History of, or known exposure to, HIV, HBV or HCV, syphilis, human T-lymphotropic virus I and II, malaria, trypanosomiasis, tuberculosis?

  • Tattoo or body piercing within previous 6 months?

  • Incarceration or history of incarceration?

  • Known systemic infection or current communicable disease?

  • Previous reception of blood products?

  • Recent (<6 months) needle stick accident?

  • Recent medical treatment in poorly hygienic conditions?

  • Risk of transmission of diseases caused by prions?

  • Recent parasitosis or infection from rotavirus, Giardia lamblia and other microbes with GI involvement?

  • Recent (<6 months) travel in tropical countries, countries at high risk of communicable diseases or traveler's diarrhea?

  • Surgeries or hospitalizations?

  • Breast fed? For how long?

  • Vaginal birth or c-section?

  • Health status/fitness of self? Including physical fitness, body fat percentage, muscular, thin, toned, etc. Do you play any sport? Lift weights? How often? College, semi-pro, pro?

  • BMI calculator: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmi-m.htm

  • Body fat percentage chart/images: https://web.archive.org/web/20180723191654/http://www.gll-getalife.com/get-ripped/whats-my-body-fat

  • Health status/fitness of parents and siblings?

  • Any diseases or illnesses that run in the family (Alzheimer's, cancers, depression/suicide, heart failure, etc.)? If parents have health problems, at what ages did they develop?

  • Any congenital/birth defect/disease of self or immediate family members?

  • What's your current diet like, and your dietary history (especially as a child)?

  • Any food cravings? Any food intolerances?

  • Allergies?

  • Please list all instances of antibiotic, antiviral, or antifungal usage, and at what ages and duration taken.

  • Any drug use?

  • Probiotics, medications, supplements?

  • Risky sexual behavior (anonymous sexual contacts; sexual contacts with prostitutes, drug addicts, individuals with HIV, viral hepatitis, syphilis; work as prostitute; history of sexually transmittable disease, unprotected sex with untested partners)? If so, how frequent/recent?

  • Smoked or lived with smokers?

  • Issues with sleep such as insomnia, frequent waking during night, nightmares, sleep paralysis, etc.? Do you dream every night and remember them when you wake? How would you rate the quality of your sleep?

  • Skin (dryness, excess sweating, rashes, eczema, dandruff, dermatitis, psoriasis, etc.)?

  • Any problems with hair, eye sight, teeth/mouth (including cavities & fillings - when was the last time you went to dentist?), ears/hearing, body odors including bad breath, weight/fitness issues, sex drive, heart, lungs/breathing, bladder, hormonal, any kind of sensitivities, issues during/with menstruation.

  • Mental/emotional health, happiness, mood, anxiety, depression, headaches, or any other neurological or psychiatric conditions?

  • Have A's in class always came easy?

  • Joint/muscle pain/stiffness?

  • Digestion: issues with constipation/diarrhea, excessive gas, overly foul BMs, acid reflux, ulcers, heartburn, etc.?

  • Any addictions or addictive behavior?

  • Do you get sick often? When under stress?

Questionnaire for a child donor:

Download or print

  • This summary & list of studies give a good idea of the kind of things that affect a child's health: https://humanmicrobiome.info/maternity

  • Age?

  • Please see this stool chart and note your stool type: https://www.continence.org.au/sites/default/files/images/bristol_stool_chart.png

  • How consistently are your stools each type? Are there foods that cause changes in the type of stool you have? If so, which foods cause what changes?

  • Have you had past and/or recent blood/medical tests? Any abnormal results?

  • History of, or known exposure to, HIV, HBV or HCV, syphilis, human T-lymphotropic virus I and II, malaria, trypanosomiasis, tuberculosis?

  • Known systemic infection?

  • Previous reception of blood products?

  • Recent (<6 months) needle stick accident?

  • Recent medical treatment in poorly hygienic conditions?

  • Risk of transmission of diseases caused by prions?

  • Recent parasitosis or infection from rotavirus, Giardia lamblia and other microbes with GI involvement?

  • Recent (<6 months) travel in tropical countries, countries at high risk of communicable diseases or traveler's diarrhea?

  • Surgeries or hospitalizations?

  • Breast fed? For how long?

  • Vaginal birth or c-section?

  • Health status/fitness of self? Including physical fitness, body fat percentage, etc.

  • BMI calculator: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmi-m.htm

  • Body fat percentage chart/images: https://web.archive.org/web/20180723191654/http://www.gll-getalife.com/get-ripped/whats-my-body-fat

  • Health status of siblings?

  • Any congenital/birth defect/disease of self or immediate family members?

  • Current diet & dietary history?

  • Any food cravings? Any food intolerances?

  • Allergies?

  • Please list all instances of antibiotic, antiviral, or antifungal usage, and at what ages and duration taken.

  • Prescription or OTC drugs or supplements?

  • Issues with sleep such as insomnia, frequent waking during night, nightmares, sleep paralysis, etc.? Do you dream every night and remember them when you wake? How would you rate the quality of your sleep?

  • Skin (dryness, excess sweating, rashes, eczema, dandruff, dermatitis, psoriasis, etc.)?

  • Any problems with hair, eye sight, teeth/mouth (including cavities & fillings - when was the last time you went to dentist?), ears/hearing, body odors including bad breath, weight/fitness issues, heart, lungs/breathing, bladder, hormonal, any kind of sensitivities.

  • Mental/emotional health, happiness, mood, anxiety, depression, headaches, or any other neurological or psychiatric conditions?

  • Have A's in class always came easy?

  • Joint/muscle pain/stiffness?

  • Digestion: issues with constipation/diarrhea, excessive gas, overly foul BMs, acid reflux, ulcers, heartburn, etc.?

  • Any addictions or addictive behavior?

  • Do you get sick often? When under stress?


Screening questions for the father:
(microbiomes run in families, are passed down from both parents (see zika for recent & popular example), and are shaped by genetics)

  • Age at time of conception of child donor?

  • Health status/fitness of self? Including physical fitness, body fat percentage, etc.

  • Have you had past and/or recent blood/medical tests? Any abnormal results?

  • Surgeries or hospitalizations?

  • Any diseases or illnesses that run in the family (Alzheimer's, cancers, depression/suicide, etc.)?

  • Any congenital/birth defect/disease of self or immediate family members?

  • Food intolerances?

  • Chronic digestion issues?

  • Allergies?

  • Chronic sleep issues?

  • History of antibiotic, antiviral, or antifungal usage? How near to time of conception of child?

  • Drug use around time of conception?

  • Skin (dryness, excess sweating, rashes, eczema, dandruff, dermatitis, psoriasis, etc.)?

  • Mental/emotional health, happiness, mood, anxiety, depression, or any other neurological or psychiatric conditions?

  • Joint/muscle pain/stiffness?

  • Addictions or addictive behavior?

  • Hormonal issues?


Screening questions for the mother:

  • Age at time of conception of child donor?

  • Health status/fitness of self? Including physical fitness, body fat percentage, etc.

  • Have you had past and/or recent blood/medical tests? Any abnormal results?

  • Surgeries or hospitalizations?

  • Any diseases or illnesses that run in the family (Alzheimer's, cancers, depression/suicide, etc.)?

  • Any congenital/birth defect/disease of self or immediate family members?

  • What's your current diet like, and your dietary history (especially around conception, birth, & breast feeding)?

  • Any food intolerances?

  • Allergies?

  • History of antibiotic, antiviral, or antifungal usage? If so, at what ages and before/after which kids?

  • Any drug use? While pregnant/breast feeding?

  • Issues with sleep such as insomnia, frequent waking during night, nightmares, sleep paralysis, etc.? How would you rate the quality of your sleep?

  • Skin (dryness, excess sweating, rashes, eczema, dandruff, dermatitis, psoriasis, etc.)?

  • Weight/fitness issues, heart, lungs, bladder, etc., hormonal, any kind of sensitivities.

  • Mental/emotional health, happiness, mood, anxiety, depression, or any other neurological or psychiatric conditions?

  • Joint/muscle pain/stiffness?

  • Chronic digestion issues?

  • Addictions or addictive behavior?

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FAQ

What disqualifies a stool donor?

Finding a perfect donor is not possible for most people. So choosing a donor usually comes down to "risk vs reward". The primary disqualifiers are:

  • Conditions that can be transferred or cured via FMT
  • Soft stool
  • Infections

What blood tests are required for FMT donors?

According to the 2019 International guidelines:

  • Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and hepatitis E viruses

  • HIV-1 and HIV-2

  • Treponema pallidum

  • Nematodes (Strongyloides stercoralis)

  • Complete blood cell count with differential

  • Creatinine

  • Aminotransferases, bilirubin

What stool tests are required for FMT donors?

According to the 2019 International guidelines:

  • Clostridioides difficile

  • Common enteric pathogens, including Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, shiga toxin-producing Escherichia c oli, Yersinia and Vibrio cholerae

  • Antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB), including vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), Gram-negative ARB including extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae/carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae

  • Norovirus, rotavirus, adenovirus

  • Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium spp, Isospora and Microsporidia

  • Protozoa and helminths/va and parasites (including Blastocystis hominis and Dientamoeba fragilis)

  • Helicobacter pylori faecal antigen (for upper route of FMT delivery)

How recent must screening tests be?

It's usually recommended to retest every few months. You will need to take into consideration the donor's risk factors, and how well you know and can trust the donor.

Can family members be FMT donors?

Yes, they can, but they shouldn't be treated differently from any non-family-member candidate.

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Sources & Guidelines

International consensus conference on stool banking for faecal microbiota transplantation in clinical practice (2019).

European consensus conference on faecal microbiota transplantation in clinical practice (2017).

FDA safety alerts:

Analysis of OpenBiome's safety and efficacy (Aug 2018). OpenBiome was the primary stool bank in the USA.

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Last reviewed: February 2026.

This questionnaire is an educational resource and does not replace physician-supervised screening or laboratory testing.