“Girls weren’t required to be in scientific analysis till 1993,” says Priyanka Jain, who co-founded Evvy, a femtech startup, in 2021with Laine Bruzek. “And that ignorance leads us to the state of immediately that girls are on common identified 4 years later than males throughout over 700 ailments.”
It’s due to shortcomings similar to these that Bruzek and Jain determined to start out Evvy, which presents a vaginal microbiome check that makes use of particular metagenomic sequencing (utilizing DNA samples) to detect particular forms of micro organism within the vagina.
So why a vaginal microbiome check particularly? In response to Jain, there are a lot of biomarkers that solely exist in feminine our bodies that are likely to get ignored by the medical and scientific communities. So Jain and Bruzek thought-about which of them weren’t being checked out—however had loads of potential to enhance healthcare outcomes for ladies. “As we have been exploring the place to start out, we truthfully could not escape the vaginal microbiome,” Jain says.
Despite the fact that scientists have know of the significance of the vaginal microbiome for 20 years or so, a lot of the analysis was targeted on how the biome pertains to childbirth, in response to gynecologist Suzanne Fenske, MD who’s the founding father of TaraMD, an modern gynecology observe in New York Metropolis. However the implications of vaginal microbiome prolong far past childbirth. A compromised or irregular vaginal microbiome is linked to gynecologic points together with an elevated threat of vaginal infections similar to yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis (BV), sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and preterm labor in response to Dr. Fenske.
As a well being author, I’ve at all times identified in regards to the intestine microbiome, and I discovered it so fascinating and useful to study how my very own was doing by having it examined prior to now. So after studying about Evvy, I used to be curious to find what I might study my vaginal microbiome, too. Specifically, I needed to know what might doubtlessly change or disrupt it over time. I used to be additionally curious to study if contraception might have an effect on my microbiome since hormonal contraceptives have been proven to alter the vaginal microbiome in some research and I’d began a brand new type six months in the past.
This is how the check works: Evvy is an-at dwelling check equipment (a single check is $129, or a membership is $99 per check shipped each three months). You ship your pattern (a vaginal swab) to a lab for processing. Every step alongside the way in which, Evvy sends you an e mail letting you recognize the place your pattern is and when you’ll be able to count on your outcomes—it takes about two weeks.
Within the report, you get an in depth take a look at what sorts of micro organism are current in your vaginal microbiome (each good and dangerous) with detailed data on what that might imply to your well being. You additionally get a custom-made motion plan with way of life suggestions (like information on how utilizing condoms can minimize down your threat of yeast infections) and subsequent steps to enhance your signs (or stop future points). Every Evvy check features a name with a well being coach who might help stroll you thru your check outcomes and motion plan or reply any questions you’ve.
What making an attempt the Evvy vaginal microbiome check is like
After I received my Evvy check equipment within the mail, I discovered all the things was labeled clearly, and it was simple to gather my pattern. I did have to attend to take it, although, since I occurred to have my interval when the check arrived, and the directions say you’ll be able to’t check in the event you’re menstruating, had intercourse prior to now 24 hours, used any form of vaginal lotions or suppositories, or in the event you’ve used antibiotics within the final seven days, BTW.
Within the meantime, I activated my check on-line and crammed out an in depth questionnaire that asks you to report details about your present signs, well being historical past, and sexual historical past.
As soon as I activated my check, crammed out the questionnaire, I collected the pattern to ship to the lab. The check equipment comes with a swab and assortment tube—it does not look all that totally different from a Covid-19 check, TBH. To gather your pattern, you insert the swab into the vagina and circle it for 20 seconds. Then you definitely place it within the assortment tube the place it stays sealed. You place that into the return field and drop it within the mail, after which it is shipped off to Evvy’s lab.
The outcomes of my vaginal microbiome check
After about two weeks, I received my outcomes again in an e mail from Evvy. When you click on into them, you are taken again to the Evvy website the place you’ll be able to see an in depth overview of your outcomes, study your microbiome sort (extra on that later), see traits and insights (that is the place you’ll be able to observe your outcomes over time in the event you proceed to check often), and curated content material and insights primarily based on what you reported in your well being analysis— mine included content material on oral contraceptives and the way using mixed oral contraceptives is linked to a decreased threat of BV and a balanced microbiome.
My outcomes total have been what I anticipated provided that I am not at the moment experiencing a whole lot of signs—it mentioned my microbiome accommodates 99 % protecting micro organism, and just one % dangerous micro organism. Evvy additionally studies your microbiome sort, or Group State Sort (CST), classes that researchers have used to group vaginal microbiome varieties. My microbiome sort is 1-A, which analysis reveals is the perfect sort for stopping vaginal infections. This kind is characterised by having the dominant micro organism Lactobacillus crispatus, which is a protecting micro organism discovered within the vagina.
My well being plan (which Evvy factors out just isn’t a diagnostic plan however a wellness display screen that must be shared along with your physician) consists of some tips on what to do subsequent. The primary tip I get is to speak to my doc about additional testing for disruptive micro organism (though I respect the tip, my good micro organism is so excessive and my signs are low that I do not suppose it’s a necessity proper now).
The following tip includes upkeep, the place it is recommended that I take probiotics solely as mandatory (like after I’m on antibiotics for instance) since taking too many probiotics might trigger yeast overgrowth. Whereas I do not take a probiotic each day, I discovered this fascinating since so many individuals do. The report says, “There may be additionally the potential for continued probiotic use to lead to lactobacilli overgrowth (cytolytic vaginosis). Because of this, the proof would level to simply letting your microbiome do it is factor!”
That is accompanied by two analysis articles on the topic and Evvy calls out that this rec relies on evolving analysis, so it is strong however nonetheless evolving. I additionally ran the check by Dr. Fenske, asking her opinion on the check technique and outcomes. Her take? “I feel it might be a really useful gizmo for understanding the foundation explanation for recurrent vaginal infections and, presumably, etiologies [causes] of vulvar/vaginal ache,” she says.
General, I walked away studying a ton in regards to the vaginal microbiome and the potential that extra analysis on it may have on massive well being points like realizing extra about issues that many ladies expertise however lack solutions to—like power BV, painful intercourse, and vulvodynia (power, unexplained ache across the vagina or vulva).
Personally, I will proceed monitoring my microbiome and check once more if I’ve signs or perhaps a few occasions a 12 months simply to see how issues are doing.
Why realizing extra in regards to the vaginal microbiome has massive implications for closing the well being hole for folks with vaginas
Talking of extra analysis, Evvy is utilizing the info from the check (which is de-identified earlier than it is used for analysis) to accomplice with researchers and well being consultants within the scientific neighborhood to fill within the gaps on vaginal well being, enhance analysis, and assist the medical neighborhood perceive extra in regards to the feminine physique.
As of 2022, Evvy has created the largest information set that anybody has on the vaginal microbiome. And this dataset is a launching level the founders hope is the beginning of progress for closing the gender well being divide. “For us to truly allow higher care outcomes throughout the board, we first want to start out with all of that higher analysis,” Jain says. “And we’re actually hoping to assist pioneer that so that everybody experiencing care—via Evvy or wherever—can entry a lot better care from their physicians.”
