Kate Tolo’s $15,700 'Techno Tampon' Aims to Fill Gap in Female Cardiovascular Health Data

Key points

• Tolo utilizes a 5cm light-sensor probe, costing $15,723.68, to measure spontaneous blood flow during REM sleep, a process she terms a 'nighttime erection.'
• The technology is based on 1985 research suggesting vaginal blood flow changes with sleep stages, but no commercial or clinical equivalent has been developed in 40 years.
• Johnson’s own device costs $275, is wireless, and connects to a smartphone, contrasting sharply with Tolo’s lab-grade equipment that requires a wired connection to a laptop.
• The goal is to determine if genital blood flow can predict cardiovascular issues in women, similar to how erectile dysfunction serves as an early warning sign for men.
• Tolo is part of a broader 'female protocol' tracking 1,900 biomarkers across blood, urine, and microbiome to understand female physiology.

Background

This development follows recent coverage of Johnson’s $2 million annual longevity regime and Tolo’s $2.6 million-funded health protocol aimed at revolutionizing endometriosis diagnosis. Their efforts align with broader biohacking trends, including Johnson’s collaboration on sleep technology that estimates biological aging, though critics remain skeptical of single-subject data validity.

How outlets are covering it

The New York Post emphasizes the novelty and high cost of Tolo’s 'techno tampon,' framing it as a biohacker’s attempt to bridge a 40-year gap in female health research. VICE focuses on the cultural aspect of Tolo’s quest to become the 'world’s most measured woman.' In contrast, Health and Me provides a critical medical perspective, noting that while a link exists between cardiovascular and sexual health, the specific method of tracking nocturnal clitoral blood flow is not yet a validated clinical tool for screening heart disease. All sources agree on the stark price and complexity disparity between Johnson’s and Tolo’s devices.

Why it matters

The initiative highlights the persistent lack of affordable, accessible diagnostic tools for women’s cardiovascular and sexual health. If validated, such monitoring could provide early warnings for heart disease in women, a leading cause of death, and help distinguish between physical and psychological causes of sexual dysfunction.

What to watch

Tolo and Johnson plan to publicly publish data from Tolo’s tracking to analyze how the signal behaves across a full menstrual cycle. The broader 'female protocol' will continue to measure 1,900 biomarkers to identify potential non-invasive diagnostic methods for various conditions.