Good vaginal health wasn’t something we discussed ten years ago or even 5 years ago, but now, thanks to a wealth of accessible information and a few pioneering influencers and brands who are reminding us just how important this topic is, women & AFAB folks everywhere are opening up about gynae health and more than that – they’re investigating it. One such brand that is at the forefront of vaginal and menstrual health is Daye. Quite often, I find, female reproductive health isn’t really thought of until a real problem is incurred. My own experience of this was with some spotting between periods that I experienced during lockdown. Every doctor I spoke to said it was fine, normal, nothing to worry about. But something in my gut told me not to “just leave it” as I had been advised, and instead, I took matters into my own hands and found a gynaecologist. After quite a few months of investigation, we found that a polyp in my uterus was to blame for the irregular bleeding and that it needed to be removed. I was so pleased I had looked into it – a solution was at hand and it fixed the problem instantly. All this is to say that lifting the lid on our health issues whether the symptoms are small or big is really important and Daye is helping women do just that.
Daye exists to raise the standards in gynae health by creating innovative products and services that fit conveniently into our lives. Daye’s Vaginal Microbiome and STI screening is a new service, which offers a complete vaginal health check giving either total peace of mind or perhaps letting you know of something that needs looking at. And all from the comfort of your own home – no more embarrassing or awkward conversations with male doctors makes getting help even easier. It is a super simple test, using just one tampon that will help you understand your risk of vaginal infections like thrush or BV, whether you have any fertility-inhibiting pathogens, and other gynae health complications along with STIs such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Trichomonas, as well as Mycoplasma and Ureaplasma.
What’s more, your reproductive tract has its own immune system and the composition of your vaginal microbiome plays a huge part in ensuring that everything stays healthy. Daye takes a closer look at your microbiome, which can help you find out what might be causing things like recurrent vaginal infections (thrush, BV) or even preventing you from becoming pregnant (ureaplasma, mycoplasma).
The test was surprisingly easy to do and Daye even made posting it back a complete walk in the park. Once you have your results, which appear on an easy-to-read dashboard, Daye ensures a proper follow-up with their aftercare team, including prescription treatments such as antibiotics and antivirals, and consultations with sexual health nurses, gynecologists and fertility specialists. I was super reassured to find that I was very healthy – my lactobacilli, which is the good, protective bacteria that keep your vagina acidic was in abundance, whereas all the not-so-great bacteria remained undetected. Super reassuring.
According to the UK Health Security Agency there has been a 24% increase in sexually transmitted infections compared to the previous year, and many of these things go unchecked as patients are asymptomatic, so it makes doing this test so worthwhile. So whether you just want peace of mind, to get to the root of the problem or are trying to get pregnant – Daye’s screening kit could be just the answer you need.
STI and Microbiome screening kit
words by Sadie Reid
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