In this episode, I'm thrilled to welcome Hana Janebdar, co-founder and CEO of Juno Bio, all the way from London to discuss a topic I consider the new frontier in women's health: the vaginal microbiome. Hana brings incredible expertise with her background in biology and biochemical engineering from Imperial College London, and she's pioneering research that's closing the gender health gap. We dive into what the vaginal microbiome actually is, why it matters for your fertility journey, and how this community of bacteria and yeast living in your body can impact everything from IVF success rates to unexplained infertility.
Read the full show notes on Dr. Aimee's website
Throughout our conversation, Hana and I explore the fascinating connection between vaginal health and fertility outcomes, including the shocking statistic that women with disrupted vaginal microbiomes fail IVF 91% of the time. We discuss how bacterial imbalances can contribute to conditions like pelvic inflammatory disease and tubal factor infertility and why having a blocked tube doesn't automatically mean you had an STI. Hana shares how Juno Bio's at-home comprehensive vaginal microbiome test works, what you can learn from it, and the personalized treatment options available. This is essential information for anyone trying to conceive or optimize their reproductive health.
In this episode, we cover:
- What the vaginal microbiome is and why 56% of your cells are actually microbial, not human
- How disrupted vaginal microbiomes impact IVF success rates and can cause a 91% failure rate
- The connection between vaginal bacteria and tubal factor infertility beyond STIs
- Why blocked fallopian tubes don't always mean you had a sexually transmitted infection
- How Juno Bio's at-home vaginal microbiome test works and what it reveals about your health
- Treatment options for vaginal microbiome imbalances, from antibiotics to targeted probiotics
- Why you should never douche and how your vagina is like a self-cleaning oven
Resources:
You can find out more about Juno Bio and Hana here:
https://www.juno.bio/
Do you have questions about IVF? Click here to join Dr. Aimee for The IVF Class.
The next live class call is on Monday, February 9, 2026, at 4 pm PST, where Dr. Aimee will explain IVF and Egg Freezing, and there will be time to ask her your questions live on Zoom.
Dr. Aimee Eyvazzadeh is one of America's most well‑known fertility doctors. Her success rate at baby‑making gives future parents hope when all hope is lost. She pioneered the TUSHY Method and BALLS Method to decrease your time to pregnancy. Learn more about the TUSHY Method and find a wealth of fertility resources at
www.draimee.org.
Keywords: vaginal microbiome, fertility, IVF success rates, bacterial vaginosis, tubal factor infertility, vaginal health, women's health, microbiome testing, at-home health test, Juno Bio, pelvic inflammatory disease, reproductive health, fertility testing, vaginal bacteria, probiotics for vaginal health, recurrent infections, fertility optimization, unexplained infertility, blocked fallopian tubes, vaginal dysbiosis, personalized women's health, fertility journey, reproductive microbiome
