Don’t Waste Your Period Blood
On average, each month a woman loses about 2 to 5 tablespoons (30 to 80 milliliters) of blood during her menstrual cycle. Over the course of a year, that adds up to roughly 390 to 780 milliliters of blood. You might not think twice about it- after all, menstrual blood is often treated as a waste product, overlooked and even stigmatized. But what if that menstrual blood was helpful for faster, more accurate diagnoses of health conditions? It’s time to bring period blood into the spotlight.
Why it matters
Historically, there is a gender gap when it comes to health: The healthcare sector invests only about 5% of its research funding in female-specific conditions. As a result, knowledge about female-specific conditions is limited, despite women making up half of the population.
The result? On average, women spend 25 percent more of their lives in poor health in comparison with men. Diagnoses and treatments for gynecological conditions fall behind, and women’s pain is often minimized. An international analysis finds that clinicians treat women differently from men when they express pain. They find that women wait an average of 30 minutes longer than men to be seen, and are provided pain medication less frequently than men for identical symptoms.
Endometriosis is one example of an understudied female-specific condition, despite affecting roughly 1 in 10 women and 190 million people worldwide. Endometriosis is a chronic condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows in other parts of the body, causing intense pain, infertility, fatigue, and emotional distress.
Simply diagnosing endometriosis can take anywhere from 5 to 12 years. While clinicians can obtain information about the extent of endometriosis through an internal vaginal examination, ultrasound, or MRI scan, they must perform a laparoscopy (keyhole surgery) to make a definitive diagnosis. Though accurate, laparoscopy is invasive, costly, and not always accessible. When the diagnosis process itself is complex and slow, treating the condition can begin to feel impossible, too. Many women with these conditions find themselves participating less in work, social life, and daily activities. Clearly, we must take steps to prioritize women’s health and ensure it takes up the space it deserves.
Period blood: A potential diagnostic tool
New hope for improving diagnoses of these conditions lies in an unexpected but abundant source: menstrual blood. That’s right- the blood that you shed every month might have powerful diagnostic potential.
Emerging clinical research indicates that clinicians and researchers may be able to use menstrual blood to diagnose healthcare conditions, including endometriosis. The composition of menstrual blood, which includes endometrial cells, immune cells, proteins, and microbial signatures, provides insights into health. For example, in 2019, Sara Naseri and Paul Blumenthal demonstrated that menstrual blood can be used for routine biomarkers. They demonstrated its potential in detecting HPV for early detection of cervical cancer and for measuring HbA1c levels for diabetes management.
Advancing research in this area could enable faster, non-invasive diagnostic methods for female-specific conditions, improving care and quality of life for millions of women. In other words, it could be a game-changer for half the population.
Yoni x Avans Hogeschool x Result Laboratorium: Don’t Waste Your Period Blood
This spring, Yoni is collaborating with a research team at Avans Hogeschool and Result Laboratorium on “Don’t Waste Your Period Blood,” a project further exploring the diagnostic potential of menstrual blood. This research is funded by Regieorgaan SIA through a KIEM GoChem grant.
By studying the composition of menstrual blood, exploratory steps can hopefully be made towards the goal of developing non-invasive, faster methods for female-specific conditions.
The project has two primary goals: first, to develop a protocol for the safe and hygienic transport of samples from participants to the laboratory; and second, to analyse the samples to determine whether stable markers are present in the menstrual blood. These findings may support future research into condition-specific biomarkers.
How can you get involved?
Together with Avans Hogeschool, Yoni is actively recruiting participants for Don’t Waste Your Period Blood- and that’s where you come in.
We’re looking for regular menstrual cup users based in the Netherlands who are willing to send a sample of their menstrual blood for analysis. By participating, you’ll be contributing to research aimed at developing faster, less invasive diagnostic methods for gynecological conditions.
To take part, you’ll complete a short confirmation form- register here. We’ll then send you a collection kit, including a Yoni menstrual cup and easy-to-follow instructions for safely collecting and sending your sample to the lab.
If you have any questions regarding the research, please send an email to vrouwengezondheid@avans.nl.
Menstrual blood matters
Research into menstrual blood offers an opportunity to uncover important new insights into women’s health. It also challenges a long-standing societal taboo that has framed menstrual blood as “dirty” or merely “waste.”
Menstruation has existed throughout human history, yet only now are we beginning to recognise its scientific value. What society has long overlooked may be very valuable to improving women’s health care, and we’ve only scratched the surface.
It’s time to build on this momentum. Take it from us at Yoni: don’t waste your period blood!
