H E A L T H I N S I G H T S
Qvin , the biotechnology research company that developed the first and only healthcare service that collects menstrual blood samples as an alternative to traditionally collected venous blood draws , announced FDA clearance of its Q-Pad and A1c Test . The clearance makes it possible for the millions of women in America who live with diabetes to receive monitoring of A1c , using laboratory tests performed on the Q-Pad . More broadly , this marks an opportunity for testing important biomarkers for the more than 80 million people who menstruate in the US .
Sara Naseri , Co-founder and CEO of Qvin , discussed the untapped potential of menstrual blood in diagnostics at HLTH Europe earlier this year . Throughout the talk , she exclaimed passionately about the failures of society and industry in shaming and hiding such a powerful tool . She left an interesting final message to audiences : “ I think it ’ s important to remember that it wasn ’ t until the 1990s that women were even included in medical research and not until recently that female voters were included in drug development . As a field , within healthcare , Women ’ s Health is just behind , and we have to catch up .
Menstrual blood , long overlooked due to stigma , is finally being recognised as a method of unlocking new possibilities in health diagnostics . With FDA clearance for a non-invasive test that uses menstrual blood to measure biomarkers like A1c , millions of women can now monitor their health from home . This breakthrough helps address gaps in women ’ s healthcare , bypassing traditional barriers like high costs and invasive procedures . By transforming menstrual blood into a valuable diagnostic tool , this approach challenges taboos , offering an affordable , accessible way for people who menstruate to gain essential health insights .
“ We need to look for where women have an advantage . We believe that advantage is the block that we ’ ve been going up against every month , that could in fact be a way to accelerate the participation or visitation in clinical research and actually close the gender data gap . We are making strides in really starting to break down the barriers in realising that a period is not a waste product , but in fact , an incredible opportunity .”
The traditional methods of blood testing require invasive procedures administered by medical professionals , and those can be time-consuming and expensive . Not everyone has the time , access and financial means to get laboratory results for blood work , however , billions of people globally have their period every single month . And yet , menstrual samples had never previously been explored as a diagnostic source for health information . Qvin proved the clinical relevancy of menstrual blood for a number of important biomarkers . Now , for the first time , menstrual blood can be used to provide insights for people with the Q-Pad and A1c Test , from the convenience of their own home . FDA clearance of the Q-Pad and A1c Test , for at-home collection of samples and over the counter ( OTC ) distribution , speaks to the safety and simplicity of the Q-Pad technology .
“ 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
STIGMA TO SCIENCE :
HARNESSING MENSTRUAL BLOOD FOR HEALTH INSIGHTS
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