Evvy, a women’s health startup, has launched an at-home test to detect urinary tract infections (UTI), the company announced Tuesday.
Evvy, based in New York City, is a direct-to-consumer company. Its flagship product is an at-home vaginal microbiome test, which looks for bacteria and fungi (or microbes) in people’s vaginas. Its new UTI+ test is a urine test that leverages polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to detect 12 uropathogens and seven antibiotic resistance genes.
Users collect their urine sample and then send it to Evvy’s lab. The company then provides results within one business day, and an Evvy doctor can offer same-day prescription pickup. Since the test determines both the specific pathogen and resistance markers of the infection, it is easier for the provider to identify which medication is likely to work, according to Priyanka Jain, co-founder and CEO of Evvy.
“Everything is done completely at home, with no clinic visits or waiting room required,” he said. “For people suffering from recurring UTIs, the UTI+ test also pairs perfectly with the Evvy Vaginal Health Test to reveal whether the vaginal microbiome may be contributing to ongoing symptoms.”
The test is currently available in the US for $248, or $218 for those with an Evvy subscription. Currently not available in Alaska, Hawaii or New York. Their vaginal microbiome test starts at $129.
Evvy launched the UTI test because “the current standard of care for UTIs is fundamentally broken,” Jain stated. UTIs are the most common infection in women in the U.S., but nearly half of women are prescribed an antibiotic that may not work. About one in four women faces recurrent infections.
“Standard urine cultures often fail patients: They can take days and miss most pathogens. That leads to incorrect antibiotics, delays in care, and a cycle of symptoms that come back again and again… Because emerging research shows that bacteria from the vaginal microbiome can seed the urinary tract, and because 47% of Evvy users with recent UTIs had UTI-related bacteria in their vaginal microbiome, We feel a responsibility to offer a more accurate, compassionate and scientifically advanced solution for UTI Care,” said Jain.
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 diagnoses and better care.”
This announcement comes after Evvy introduced fertility insights through its vaginal microbiome test in March. In August, a peer-reviewed company study also found that Evvy improves the diagnosis and treatment of bacterial vaginosis, with 75.5% of patients reporting symptom relief at four weeks.
There are also other vaginal microbiome testing companies, including Juno Bio. This company also offers at-home testing and access to personalized advice.
Photo: Carol Yepes, Getty Images