The self-swab test kit Evvy (currently only available in the U.S., at evvy.com) is designed to help women know whats up down there, providing a breakdown of the vaginas bacteria and fungi composition. Evvy highlights the gap in womens health care with taglines like the female body shouldnt be a medical mystery, and tells users theyll be able to catch imbalances before they become infections.How does it work? Users swab themselves and send in the sample for a full analysis, which they receive through an app, along with a game plan of recommendations. Customers can also elect to receive a follow-up call with a certified health coach.(Related: Whats With All the Vaginal Creams, Wipes and Gummies?)Like many femtech innovations, the product definitely taps into an unmet need. But at $129 USD per kit, plus an optional subscription model for follow-up tests and care, the company also makes a pretty penny trying to fill that gap. This allows wealthier women to believe they have a better knowledge of their microbial makeup, but provides few ways to put that information to good use. Plus, theres the subtle suggestion that this is yet another female body part we should feel insecure about. (Wait, should I be more worried about my vagina?)Deborah Money questions the kits usefulness. If you actually have a problem, then you need a diagnosis and a treatment, she says. And if women who complete the kit are ultimately told to talk to their doctors anyway, she worries users are wasting money and time, instead of seeing an OB/GYN in the first place.Laura Sycuro has a theory: Whats at the heart of [this] is women not feeling safe, listened to or validated by their care providers, she says. The fact that we dont feel seen by doctors opens the door for our bodies to be turned into a profit opportunity. Private companies have created countless overpriced for her personal products, but more dangerous than pink-washed soaps and razors is the fact that we remain understudied in many ways, and that includes a lack of understanding how certain diseases can manifest differently in women.Next: A Field Guide to Your Vaginal Microbiome
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