Psomagen Incorporated and Kean Health, an at-home health testing provider, announced the launch of Kean V and Kean V+, a vaginal microbiome test. This product release follows a successful product trial during the V Project, which gave 1,000 American women the opportunity to participate in a free vaginal microbiome analysis.
The test provides health insights by categorizing a sample into one of five vaginal types. These types are defined by their Lactobacillus bacterial balance, which impacts a woman’s risk of recurring infections, pH imbalance, chronic conditions, extreme menopausal symptoms, and more.
One of the vaginal microbiome test’s key goals is to make it easier for users to get answers about their vaginal health. “A lot of women experience negative symptoms without ever getting a clear diagnosis,” says Harold Nunez Burgos, PhD, director of Microbiome Research and Development at Kean Health and Psomagen. “They may find themselves bounced around to multiple doctors for multiple tests, when a simple answer may be right in front of them. We are making the Kean V test convenient, informative, and multi-functional to overcome those barriers.”
The microbiome contains clues to what may be impacting vaginal health—particularly, clues that have historically gone unexplored. “Health is a personal journey,” says Su Hong, PhD, CEO of Kean Health and Psomagen. “We’ve found that people want to know more about their health so they can advocate for targeted care that works for them. Our vaginal microbiome product is a great way to gain health insights that might not be part of a typical checkup or well-woman visit.”
Users interested in STI testing can opt for Kean V+, which provides all of the insights of Kean V, plus gonorrhea, chlamydia, HPV, and Mycoplasma genitalium testing. V+ was developed in conjunction with digital genetic counseling company, DNAvisit. The service includes an optional consultation with a DNAvisit clinician for users who test positive for HPV or any STI.
“Kean Health is elevating the level of care for its patients by including direct communication channels for both users and their doctors, oversight that ensures patients properly understand the results,” said Dr. Jaime Barea, MD, FACMG, chief medical officer at DNAvisit. “This arrangement for clinician follow-up after a positive result can be just as important as the result itself,”
Kean V and V+ add to the company’s existing offerings: Kean Gut and Gut+, which provide insights into the user’s gut microbiome; and Kean Gene, which analyzes how a person’s genome impacts their personal characteristics.
