Women’s ‘Nighttime Erections’: Bryan Johnson’s Girlfriend Uses $15,700 ‘Techno-Tampon’

Kate Tolo, the girlfriend of millionaire biohacker Bryan Johnson, who is obsessed with the pursuit of immortality, has set out to investigate her own intimate health using an unusual device that measures nighttime changes in blood flow to vaginal tissue. She calls it a “techno-tampon” and hopes the measurements could help researchers better understand female sexual function and potentially identify early signs of cardiovascular disease, the New York Post reports.

Every night, Tolo uses a specialized research device costing around $15,700. Her boyfriend, Johnson, who is known for his efforts to slow aging and extend human lifespan, also monitors his erections every night — but with a far more affordable device.

Johnson believes that maintaining healthy erectile function may serve as an indicator of vascular health and could potentially be linked to longevity. Tolo argues that similar processes occur in women and deserve just as much attention.

Why Women Also Experience ‘Erections’

Research confirms that blood flow to the clitoral region increases during sleep, causing the clitoris to swell. The clitoris and penis share a common developmental origin: during the first two months of pregnancy, both develop from the same embryonic structure.

According to Tolo, a tampon-shaped light sensor allows her to track spontaneous changes in blood flow to vaginal tissue while she sleeps. That is why she has nicknamed the device the “techno-tampon.”

Tolo points out that the technology has barely changed in the past half-century. The device was developed in 1975, she says, but research into its potential for assessing women’s health has never received the attention it deserves.

Collecting data with the device is no easy task. Tolo has to insert a five-centimeter probe, secure a wire to her leg and connect it to laboratory equipment and a laptop. If the computer goes into sleep mode, the recording stops and the data are lost.

“It’s literally laboratory equipment in my bedroom,” she said.

By comparison, Johnson’s device costs around $275 and connects to a smartphone.

“My data are only useful for half the population. Kate’s data are the first serious attempt to publicly publish information about the other half,” Johnson added.

For now, the “techno-tampon” remains a research tool, and its potential role in diagnosing sexual dysfunction and predicting cardiovascular disease requires further study.