Vaginal Microbiome Test Launch

Every day, I test my vaginal microbiome.

It's part of my $2.6M experiment to better understand female health… and I think the vaginal microbiome is one of the most overlooked datasets in a woman's body.

So today, we are launching our first women’s-specific test:

An at-home vaginal microbiome kit that tests for 10,000+ organisms.

In this blog post:

• why I measure mine
• what the test looks for
• how it works

Why I measure mine

Your vagina has a microbiome… and it’s unlike any other in your body.

In the gut, diversity is healthy. In the vagina, it’s the warning sign. A healthy vagina is dominated by a single bacteria… Lactobacillus crispatus… which keeps the environment acidic and stops harmful bacteria from growing.

An in-balance microbiome is protective.

But when out of balance, it’s linked to…

• higher rates of preterm birth
• higher risk of acquiring HIV
• lower IVF success
• higher risk of catching other STIs
• higher risk of miscarriage
• higher risk of pelvic inflammatory disease

Most imbalances are asymptomatic, so a lot of women are in that state without knowing.

Fortunately, the vaginal microbiome is one of the most responsive systems in the body. It changes within days of a behavior change.

What the test shows

Most tests check for a handful of organisms…. this one reads the DNA in your sample. It then identifies everything it finds for 10,000+ organisms.

You’ll see:

• if you’re L crispatus dominant
• bacterial and fungal load
• microbiome balance
• breakdown of every organism found
• results for 4 common STIs

A board-certified physician writes and reviews every result.

How it works

It's an at-home kit. You swab for 20 seconds, put your sample in the prepaid return bag, and send it off.

Your results arrive in a secure dashboard in 4-9 business days.

If you want to talk through them, you can book time with a doctor trained in microbiome analysis for an extra charge.* They can prescribe treatment if it's appropriate.

How frequently to test

I test every day, but you do not need to. The reason I am testing so frequently is to track how my microbiome changes across my menstrual cycle. We’re comparing these results with 1,900 biomarkers in a world-first experiment.

You can test once to understand your baseline.

If you then want to improve your results, you can try interventions and test again to see how your microbiome changes across time. Every 3 months is plenty to check how a specific change (alcohol, a new partner, antibiotics) actually affected you.

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Female health is a personal passion of mine and I am so excited to destigmatize the vaginal microbiome. Women deserve better data about their own bodies.

I’ll be sharing a protocol soon on the free, simple basics that can contribute to a healthy microbiome.

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For informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The opinions and treatment related notes expressed in this message are specific to Kate Tolo and are not intended to replace or supplement advice given from your provider. Results may vary and are not guaranteed.

Not for use during pregnancy. This test was not designed or validated for pregnant patients. Results cannot be reliably interpreted during pregnancy, and some findings may require a level of urgent clinical follow-up this pathway is not built to provide. Please hold onto your kit and use it after your pregnancy.

Not FDA-cleared. The test is validated as a laboratory-developed test (LDT) in a CLIA-certified, high-complexity clinical lab, but it has not been cleared or approved by the FDA. It is not a diagnostic device.

Detection is not the same as diagnosis. Broader sequencing can identify organisms that standard testing does not screen for. Not every organism detected indicates a condition that requires treatment. Results should be interpreted in clinical context, not acted on in isolation.

Some results require in-person care. Positive gonorrhea results cannot be managed via telehealth and require an in-person clinical visit. Positive results for STIs should be discussed with a clinician before any treatment is started.

Not a replacement for routine gynecological care. This test does not screen for cervical cancer, HPV, ovarian conditions, or other gynecologic concerns. It does not replace annual well-woman exams.

Available to adults 18 and over, born with a vagina, in the United States, excluding New York.

This Vaginal Microbiome Test (the "Test"), including its collection method, has been validated exclusively by CLIA Lab 05D2314895 and is offered as a laboratory-developed test (LDT) within that lab's scope of professional services. The Test is not FDA-cleared or FDA-approved. See https://immortals.com/products/vaginal-microbiome-test for availability information. Results should not be used for clinical decisions without first consulting a treating healthcare provider, who should interpret them alongside other clinical evidence.

*Follow-up visit with a licensed provider is optional and costs $85, billed separately from your test.