A groundbreaking innovation is turning a monthly routine into a powerful health monitoring tool. Scientists from ETH Zurich have developed smart sanitary pads that can detect early signs of disease using menstrual blood, offering a new frontier in non-invasive diagnostics and personalized health care, making use of menstrual blood to provide valuable insights and marking a pivotal shift in women’s health innovation.
From Waste to Wellness
Menstrual blood has long been overlooked in medical diagnostics, despite containing hundreds of proteins that parallel concentrations found in venous blood. The lack of focus on this rich biological resource reflects broader systemic gaps in women’s health research. MenstruAI tackles this head-on, highlighting biomarkers such as C‑reactive protein (CRP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and CA‑125, which are associated with inflammation, cancers, and endometriosis respectively.
The development of smart sanitary pads is a direct response to this oversight and represents a major step toward closing the gender gap in medical diagnostics.
How the Technology Works, AI Meets Sanitary Pads
At the heart of this innovation is MenstruAI, a project that integrates a thin, paper-based biomarker detection strip into a regular sanitary pad. When menstrual blood interacts with the strip, it produces a color change, much like a COVID-19 rapid test.
Users then take a photo of the pad using a smartphone, and the MenstruAI app uses AI-powered image analysis to measure the intensity of the color change. This allows for a semi-quantitative readout of biomarker levels—without the need for lab tests or blood draws.
Disease Detection, Simplified
This technology could become a game-changer in the early detection of serious diseases. For example:
- Elevated CRP levels could signal infections or chronic inflammatory conditions.
- High CEA concentrations may warrant further testing for colon, pancreatic, or ovarian cancers.
- Abnormal CA-125 levels could prompt early screening for endometriosis or reproductive cancers.
- By alerting users to these red flags early, smart pads can encourage timely medical follow-up—potentially improving outcomes and reducing health care burdens, especially in underserved areas.
Field Testing and Next Steps
In initial trials, volunteers wore the smart pads during normal menstrual use. Despite movement and daily activity, the test strips performed reliably and caused no discomfort. The current goal is to expand testing to over 100 participants to better understand biomarker variability across menstrual cycles and individuals.
Once validated, the technology could gain regulatory approval and be made available for at-home health monitoring, providing millions with an affordable, private tool for tracking their reproductive health.
Empowering Women Through Technology
The potential of smart sanitary pads goes beyond convenience. They could play a vital role in:
- Combating diagnostic delays, especially for diseases like endometriosis that often go undetected for years.
- Bridging the gap in women’s health care by making diagnostics more accessible in low-resource regions.
- Encouraging body literacy, giving users real-time insights into their own biological changes.
The team behind MenstruAI is also prioritizing privacy, affordability, and accessibility, ensuring the technology can benefit diverse populations, including those in menstrual taboo-prone societies.
The Future of FemTech
As part of the growing FemTech movement, smart sanitary pads offer a unique blend of usability and medical insight. They represent a future where everyday products serve dual purposes—managing hygiene while actively monitoring health.
With more research and public awareness, this innovation could become a vital part of routine menstrual care, helping to detect diseases earlier, reduce diagnostic inequality, and ultimately, save lives.