# “Smart Tampon” In Development That Will Test For STIs and Cancer

- Link: https://stayathomemum.com.au/news-opinion/general/smart-tampon-in-development-that-will-test-for-stis-and-cancer/
- Published: 2016-10-04T10:00:36+11:00
- Author: Caroline Duncan

#### _A revolutionary new tampon might be on the way that will be able to test for STIs and cancer._

A startup called NextGen Jane, focused on helping women to take their health into
their own hands, is developing a so-called “smart tampon”. The startup’s founders
Ridhi Tariyal and Stephen Gire met while working at Harvard University in an infectious
disease lab and one day realised that blood and cells collected by menstrual products
could potentially be utilised to diagnose health problems.

[⌊smart tampon in development that will test for stis and cancer | stay at home 
mum⌉⌊smart tampon in development that will test for stis and cancer | stay at home
mum⌉[

via techstorm.tv

The researchers hope to develop a tampon that will test for biomarkers that can 
diagnose medical conditions such as cervical cancer, endometriosis and fertility
issues. They are also hoping women using it will be empowered to take control of
their own health instead of relying on doctors.

In an interview with _Fast Company, _Ridhi Tariyal said:

“We had to come up with something that would allow women to find out about these
conditions sooner than every year. You can pick up a disease any time, and letting
it sit there for a year until your next visit can have consequences downstream that
you don’t want. The system has to change.”

“I was thinking about how to get a large enough volume of blood to do this,” she
said.

“Until I realized that we actually bleed quite a bit every month.”

Tariyal then came up with the idea of using a tampon as a tool that doubles for 
collecting women’s blood.

[⌊smart tampon in development that will test for stis and cancer | stay at home 
mum⌉⌊smart tampon in development that will test for stis and cancer | stay at home
mum⌉[

via techstorm.tv

If the technology is right, it may even test the blood for a range of biomarkers
and send the information to a database allowing a woman to track her reproductive
health over time – it would be wearable tech, but for your vaginal and reproductive
health.

The product is still in the research and development phase and the pair aren’t giving
too much away at this stage.

“We have to get to a place where we have working, high-quality tests for enough 
conditions that it actually makes it worthwhile for women to test themselves every
month,” Tariyal said.

![author avatar](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b860f553e8ded813ef1efe9dc0c295aaafb562c488421df4566fb8f71d3e1347?
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 Caroline Duncan

 Caroline Duncan is a freelance journalist and photographer with almost 20 years'
media experience in radio, magazines and online. She is also a mother of three daughters,
and when she's not writing or taking pictures, she's extremely busy operating a 
taxi service running them around to various activities. She can't sew and hates 
housework.

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