Women's health startup Evvy has launched a home test for urinary tract infections (UTIs), the company announced on Tuesday.
Headquartered in New York City, Evvy is a direct-to-consumer company. Its flagship product is an at-home vaginal microbiome test that checks the bacteria and fungi (or microorganisms) in people's vaginas. Its new UTI+ test is a urine test that uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to detect 12 urinary tract pathogens and seven antibiotic resistance genes.
Users collect urine samples and send them to Evvy's lab. The company then provides results within one business day, and Evvy clinicians can provide same-day pickup. Priyanka Jain, co-founder and CEO of Evvy, said that because the test can identify the specific pathogen and resistance markers of an infection, providers can more easily determine which drugs are likely to be effective.
“Everything is done entirely at home, with no need to go to a clinic or a waiting room,” she said. “For people with recurring UTIs, the UTI+ test can also work seamlessly with Evvy’s vaginal health test to reveal whether the vaginal microbiome may be contributing to ongoing symptoms.”
The test is currently priced at $248 in the United States or $218 with an Evvy subscription. This feature is not currently available in Alaska, Hawaii, or New York. Its vaginal microbiome test starts at $129.
Jain claimed that Evvy launched the UTI test because “the current standard of treatment for UTIs is fundamentally broken.” Urinary tract infections are the most common infection among women in the United States, but nearly half of them take antibiotics that may not work. About a quarter of women face recurring infections.
“Standard urine cultures often fail patients: They can take days and miss most pathogens. This results in incorrect antibiotic use, delayed care, and recurring cycles of symptoms. … Because emerging research shows that bacteria in the vaginal microbiome can seed the urinary tract—and because 47% of Evvy users with recent UTIs had vaginal microbiomes with bacteria associated with UTIs—we feel a responsibility to provide patients with more precise, compassionate, and scientific solutions for UTI care,” Jain Say.
She added that for decades, women have been told that UTIs “just happen” or are “bad luck,” but ultimately, what women really need is “better science, better diagnosis and better care.”
This news comes after Evvy introduced fertility insights with its vaginal microbiome test in March. A peer-reviewed study of the company in August also found that Evvy improved the diagnosis and treatment of bacterial vaginosis, with 75.5% of patients reporting relief of symptoms after four weeks.
There are other vaginal microbiome testing companies, including Juno Bio. The company also offers at-home testing and one-on-one tutoring.
Photo: Carol Yepes, Getty Images
