I tried at-home vaginal microbiome test Evvy: tracks infections, infertility - Insider
A few weeks later, I got my results, but it took some time and effort to understand what they meant.
Based on the colorful blob depiction of my microbiome, it looked like things were in good shape — the majority of bacteria was labeled neutral, and I had more beneficial than disruptive microorganisms.
Still, I scheduled a call with Pita Navarro, Evvy's head of research, to help talk me through my results. Any Evvy user can schedule a free call with a company expert to decipher their dashboard.
She told me that, unlike the gut microbiome in which lots of diversity is good, in the vagina, it's healthiest to be dominated by one bacteria — and especially one of the Lactobacillus species. That species produces lactic acid , keeping the vaginal PH low and disruptive bacteria at bay.
As someone dominated by Lactobacillus inners, then, I did have a healthy looking microbiome, Pita assured.
Interestingly, though, other people dominated by the same species might have issues since it's influenced by the bacteria around it.
"If you have inners and great bacteria like yours, you have a healthy result," Pita told me. "But for the small percentage of women that have lactobacillus inners and 10% to 20% other pathogens, they start experiencing symptoms."
"That why particularly for those women dominated by lactobacillus inners, it's extremely important to get comprehensive testing and look at what else is surrounding it."
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