Menstrual Blood Testing Technology Eliminates Need for Finger Prick or Lab Blood Draw

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 11 Jan 2024

Image: Both the Q-Pad and A1c Test have received US FDA clearance (Photo courtesy of Qvin)

Traditional methods of blood testing require invasive procedures administered by medical professionals, and can be time-consuming as well as expensive. Not everyone has the time, access, and financial means to get laboratory results for blood work, however, billions of women globally have their period every single month. Until now, menstrual samples had never previously been explored as a diagnostic source for health information. Now, for the first time, a safe and simple technology allows menstrual blood samples to be used as an alternative to traditionally collected venous blood draws. This breakthrough provides an opportunity for testing important biomarkers for millions of menstruating women across the world.

Qvin (Menlo Park, CA, USA) has proved the clinical relevancy of menstrual blood for several important biomarkers. The company’s Q-Pad technology uses menstrual blood to gain health insights in a non-invasive, convenient manner and can be used for testing anywhere in the world. The Q-Pad was initially created to identify biomarkers for HPV and has expanded and identified additional biomarkers to test for, including pre/diabetes, anemia, fertility, perimenopause, endometriosis, and thyroid health. Each Q-Pad includes a removable strip; once the Q-Pad has sufficiently collected a menstrual sample, the removed collection strip is sent to a CLIA-Certified (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) laboratory for clinical testing. Users receive their results via the free and convenient Qvin app.

Q-Pad allows specimens to be submitted directly to the lab and receive reports on key health conditions that often go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed including pre/diabetes, anemia, fertility, perimenopause, endometriosis, and thyroid health. For instance, women seeking to understand their fertility status can soon monitor various reproductive hormones via menstrual blood using the Q-Pad. Qvin also offers the A1c Q-Pad Test Kit which measures the average blood sugar over a three-month period by testing the A1c biomarker for people with diabetes. Qvin, in collaboration with researchers at academic institutions, has published peer-reviewed research validating other biomarkers that can also be monitored. Both the Q-Pad and A1c Q-Pad Test Kit have received US FDA clearance.

"With the first ever FDA-cleared menstrual blood health test, Qvin is paving the way to important new opportunities for women's health and this is just the beginning," said Dr. Sara Naseri, Qvin Co-founder. "We are simplifying routine testing, and freeing up resources that can be used on providing care and ultimately our goal is to make health care much more accessible."