Menstrual blood can detect HPV, hinting at broader uses

"Human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes nearly all cervical cancers, can be reliably detected from menstrual blood collected on a sanitary pad, according to a new study. The findings add to growing interest in the diagnostic applications of a bodily fluid that researchers have historically overlooked. The study, published in the BMJ, enrolled more than 3,000 women in China's province of Hubei between September 2021 and January 2025."

"Participants collected menstrual blood using a small cotton strip affixed to a sanitary pad, and the researchers compared the results of HPV tests of that blood and of clinician-collected cervical samples from the same participants. Both methods were then measured against biopsy results to see how well they detected high-grade cervical lesions, which could consist of cancerous or precancerous cells."

"The menstrual blood method performed similarly to clinician-collected samples in detecting the types of HPV that are linked to cervical lesions. Menstrual blood [sample] collection using sanitary pads represents a promising innovation, offering a convenient and non-invasive alternative or replacement to standard cervical cancer screening, the study authors write. Current screening typically involves a Pap smear, an often uncomfortable procedure in which a doctor or nurse scrapes a sample of cells from the cervix and examines them under a microscope for abnormalities."

Human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes nearly all cervical cancers, can be reliably detected from menstrual blood collected on a sanitary pad. More than 3,000 women in Hubei, China, provided samples between September 2021 and January 2025. Participants used a small cotton strip affixed to a sanitary pad to collect menstrual blood. HPV test results from menstrual blood were compared with clinician-collected cervical samples and both were measured against biopsy findings for high-grade cervical lesions. The menstrual blood method performed similarly to clinician-collected sampling. Menstrual pad sampling offers a convenient, non-invasive alternative to Pap smear screening.

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