Meet the smart period pad: your new ally in spotting cancer, inflammation and endometriosis
Image: instagram
How menstrual blood is being transformed from 'waste' into a window on women's healthImagine if your period pad could quietly monitor your health while you go about your day, no needles, no lab visits, just a photo on your smartphone.
It sounds futuristic, yet it's already becoming a reality. And it could change women's health in ways we've needed for decades.
Globally, millions of women live with endometriosis, fibroids, and other reproductive health challenges, yet diagnosis often takes years.
A 2020 study published in Frontiers in Global Women's Health found the average time to diagnose endometriosis can stretch up to 7–10 years, a delay rooted partly in how women's pain is underestimated, and how little research has historically focused on menstrual blood itself.
This is where MenstruAI, a new technology developed by ETH Zurich, could spark a quiet revolution. As reported by Yahoo, MenstruAI turns menstrual blood, once dismissed as waste, into a rich source of health data.
The system uses a paper-based sensor built into a sanitary towel, working similarly to rapid Covid-19 tests.
But instead of saliva, it reacts to proteins in menstrual blood, changing colour based on biomarker levels.
What does that mean for real people?
After wearing the pad, users simply snap a photo of the sensor with a smartphone. The MenstruAI app, powered by machine learning, analyses the photo to pick up even faint colour differences.
This data translates into personalised insights about inflammation, cancer-linked markers like carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and CA-125, a biomarker often elevated in ovarian cancer and endometriosis.
While MenstruAI doesn't provide definitive diagnoses, it offers an early warning system by flagging concerning biomarker levels, prompting users to seek medical advice when necessary.
Image: Vanessa Ramirez/pexels
Lucas Dosnon, the study's first author, calls this shift long overdue. 'To date, menstrual blood has been regarded as waste. We are showing that it is a valuable source of information,' he explains.
And it's not just about the data. It's about rethinking what menstrual health can mean for millions of people.
A powerful, pocket-sized lab
At its core, MenstruAI is designed to be as easy as taking a Covid-19 self-test. A tiny silicone chamber inside the pad houses the test strip, which changes colour depending on protein concentration. The darker the strip, the higher the biomarker levels.
The app then reads and interprets the result, turning a complex lab test into something you could do in your bedroom.
This technology matters because menstrual blood contains hundreds of proteins that mirror what's found in venous blood, yet until now, these biomarkers were largely ignored by researchers. By making this data accessible, MenstruAI could empower people to spot early signs of disease or inflammation and track changes month to month.
And importantly, it isn't limited to big cities or expensive clinics.
'The aim was to develop a solution that can also be used in regions with poor healthcare provision and would be as cost-effective as possible,' says Inge Herrmann, a professor at the University of Zurich leading the project.
It's an approach that could help reduce health inequalities and bring screening closer to underserved communities.
Beyond diagnosis: toward awareness
While MenstruAI doesn't offer a definitive diagnosis, it flags concerning biomarker levels, nudging users to seek medical advice. This could cut years off diagnostic delays and offer peace of mind or early intervention.
Beyond the medical side, there's also a social challenge: making this feel normal, not awkward.
Herrmann's team is working with designers from Zurich University of the Arts to ensure the product feels as everyday as a regular pad because breaking taboos around menstruation is just as crucial as the science itself.
A bigger conversation about period health
All of this innovation fits into a wider shift in how we view menstrual and reproductive health. From menstrual cups to reusable pads designed to ease period poverty, we're finally starting to see menstruation as something to understand and support, not just manage.
Dosnon adds, the 'systemic lack of interest in women's health' has left generations without the tools to know their own bodies. Turning menstrual blood into health data isn't just about new technology; it's about changing that mindset.
That's the quiet promise inside MenstruAI. And it might be the beginning of a much-needed revolution, turning what we throw away each month into something priceless: knowledge about our own health.
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