Biohacker Bryan Johnson has gone viral once again after publicly sharing test results.
Only this time, it wasn’t totally about himself - or his son's erection data - but rather his partner, Kate Tolo.
The pair co-founded the longevity startup Blueprint and have been dating for over three years.
And as he’s committed to ‘reversing’ his biological age, Johnson often gives us an insight into his daily habits and activities.
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But this week, that meant keeping us up to date with Tolo and his activities in the bedroom as he announced on X: “Just gave Kate oral sex. Goodnight everyone.”
Bringing things back to science, he followed this up with her ‘100/100’ score from testing of her vaginal microbiome. And Tolo chimed in to explain just why it was being publicly discussed, with it able to indicate health.
Kate Tolo’s results
Johnson explained that she ranks in the ‘top one percent of all vaginas’ as he said her sample ‘is dominated by the single most protective bacterial species a vagina can host (Lactobacillus crispatus)’.
Apparently, only 25 to 40 percent of women of ‘reproductive age’ around the world are ‘dominant’ in this.
“And 'dominant' usually means above 50 percent. Kate is at 98.7 percent,” he continued.
“The lab found nothing bad to report. (no gardnerella, Candida, STIs, opportunistic pathogens, aerobic vaginitis markers, etc.)”
Johnson explained that this can be linked to a lower risk of: “BV, UTIs, yeast infections, HPV persistence, HSV-2 and HIV acquisition, preterm birth, and improved IVF outcomes.”
He concluded by stressing: “A vaginal microbiome is downstream of everything: sleep, glucose control, stress, gut health, sexual health, immune function, what you eat, and what you put in it.”
What is the vaginal microbiome?
The vagina is home to a delicate ecosystem that’s made up of thousands of different types of bacteria, fungi and viruses.
As female’s rise in oestrogen increases as they go through puberty, it creates the best environment for Lactobacillus to make itself at home – helping protect the vagina from infections.
If there’s an imbalance in the microbiome, it can make you more prone to infections such as bacterial vaginosis (BV with lower levels of Lactobacillus also putting people at greater risk of HPV.
"The microbiome is a bit like a forest," clinical lecturer in women’s and children’s health Laura Goodfellow told BBC Future.
"With a healthy forest, if you throw some seeds onto the forest floor, they're not going to grow, because there's already a healthy ecosystem living there. But if the microbiome that's there isn't as well set up, then the bad bacteria or viruses can grow more easily."
It’s also thought that looking at a woman’s unique vaginal bacterial ‘fingerprint’ could potentially be used to predict risk of ‘miscarriage, preterm birth, infertility or cervical cancer’.
It’s added that quitting smoking, having a healthy BMI and making other lifestyle changes can help look after the vagina.
"Eating plenty of leafy green vegetables, getting enough sleep, drinking enough water," Goodfellow said. "All these general things that improve your health will probably improve your vaginal microbiome too."
What Kate Tolo said about the importance of this
Responding to her partner’s post, Tolo said it’s important to talk more about this topic and the impact of sex on the vaginal microbiome.
She acknowledged that Johnson’s sharing may seem ‘unhinged’ but that despite carrying ‘genuine risks’, ‘oral sex isn’t talked about enough’.
She pointed out the possible passing of oral herpes, HPV and oral gonorrhoea.
“The bacteria in saliva can also disrupt the vaginal microbiome, and studies have linked receptive oral sex to higher rates of bacterial vaginosis,” the co-founder continued.
“Oral sex is great… the problem is that we don’t treat it seriously.”
Tolo suggested that people who may ‘never skip a condom’ will ‘go down on a new partner without a second thought’.
“People don’t get tested for oral STIs…. or talk to partners about dental health, recent illness, or when they were last screened. It’s a public health gap,” she continued.
Tolo concluded by saying she’s grateful’ to have a partner who takes ‘my health, his health and our collective health seriously’.
Topics: Bryan Johnson, Health, Science, Sex and Relationships
Jess Battison