Every day, an estimated 800 million people across the globe experience menstruation. Despite this staggering statistic, there remains a surprising dearth of knowledge concerning the characteristics of menstrual blood itself.
Dr. Sara Naseri, a medical professional, is determined to address this gap with her healthcare start-up, Qvin. Dr. Naseri holds the belief that delving into the potential of the often-overlooked monthly blood sample could unlock groundbreaking health insights.
However, substantiating this hypothesis is a gradual process due to the limited research available on menstrual blood. During her time in medical school, Dr. Naseri discovered just one study from 2012 that delved into the composition and structure of menstrual blood. This research identified 385 proteins unique to menstrual blood.
Menstrual effluent comprises not only blood but also vaginal secretions, cervical mucus, and endometrial cells. The endometrium, a lining that thickens each month to facilitate embryo implantation, is shed through the vagina if pregnancy does not occur.
Dr. Naseri highlights, “Blood is the most commonly-used bodily fluid for medical decision-making. I thought: ‘Women bleed every month. Why has nobody used this blood for health purposes?'”
Qvin’s team is actively working to bridge this research gap by conducting a range of studies to explore potential correlations between menstrual blood and blood obtained through traditional methods like venous or finger-prick samples. While initial results are promising, comprehensive studies are necessary to establish these correlations.
If solid correlations can be established, menstrual blood testing could potentially evolve into a practical approach for monitoring or diagnosing various common health conditions. For instance, if biological markers such as cholesterol or blood sugar levels exhibit equivalency, menstrual blood tests might offer a monthly means to monitor conditions like cardiovascular issues or diabetes.
However, the true potential lies in the prospect of diagnosing and treating female reproductive system conditions through non-invasive methods. The lack of comprehensive research into such diseases has led to delayed diagnoses, limited treatment options, and often uncomfortable tests for patients.
Surprisingly, medical research funding allocated to reproductive conditions in the UK stands at just 2.1%, despite findings indicating that 31% of women encounter severe reproductive health problems. A significant portion of those affected do not seek medical assistance.
The quest to test menstrual blood encounters not only a lack of precedence and research but also resistance and societal taboos. Berlin-based start-up Theblood, for instance, struggled to secure a lab partner willing to analyze menstrual blood samples.
Miriam Santer, co-founder of Theblood, laments, “We have to do everything from scratch, from the very, very start. Labs will test saliva, urine, or stool samples but there’s just nothing for menstrual blood.”
