A pioneering test of period blood for signs of cervical cancer is a convenient, non-invasive and accurate way to screen for the disease, researchers said.
A simple sanitary pad topped with a blood sample strip can pick up the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cases of cervical cancer, and can be used by women at home, the results of a study suggest.
Currently, most women undergo cervical screening under the care of a doctor who collects a sample through a brush inserted into the vagina. But millions of women invited for screening do not attend.
Researchers in China The diagnostic accuracy of menstrual blood was compared with physician-collected samples for detecting cervical cell abnormalities (CIN2 and CIN3) that require treatment.
Their research, Published in the BMJ Medical Journalbased on 3,068 women between 20 and 54 years of age enrolled in Hubei, China, between 2021 and 2025.
Each provided three samples for testing: a menstrual blood sample collected using a sanitary pad and strip, a cervical sample collected by a physician, and an additional sample collected by a health worker for processing in a lab.
The researchers assessed the sensitivity of the test, which refers to how well it picks up people with the disease, as well as the specificity to pick up those without the disease.
Samples collected from pads showed a sensitivity of 94.7% for detecting CIN2, which was comparable to physician-collected samples (92.1%).
Although the pad performs poorly on specificity, the probability that a person with a negative test result does not actually have the disease is similar for both collection methods. Recommendations for further tests are also comparable.
“The results of this large-scale, community-based study show the benefit of using minipad-collected menstrual blood as a standard, non-invasive alternative for HPV testing or replacement for cervical cancer screening,” the study authors said.
Sophie Brooks, Health Information Manager Cancer Research UK said it was encouraging to see research exploring new ways to make cervical screening more accessible. “Testing menstrual blood for HPV is an interesting, non-invasive approach and could provide another option in the future.”
But it’s early days, she added, and trials with larger and more diverse groups are needed to understand how well it works for different people and whether it matches existing screening methods.
Javier Bausch, an emeritus researcher at the Catalan Institute of Oncology who was not involved in the study, said the work was “very pioneering” but still in the research phase. “At present, its clinical applications are unclear.”
Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of gynecological cancer charity Eve Appeal, welcomed the findings. “It’s exciting to see new, more acceptable and potentially sensitive ways to provide a life-saving test to prevent the development of cervical cancer.”
However, the ability to test for HPV in period blood does not work for everyone, including, for example, postmenopausal women.
“People have different barriers and concerns about screening, so offering a choice of different methods to some people who are eligible for screening but are not currently attending is very positive,” she said.
