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Why menstrual blood? The science behind Red drop LAB.

  • MENSTRUATION, WOMEN'S HEALTH

Every month, most women lose a sample of their own body that nobody ever looks at. It ends up in a bin. At Red drop LAB., we think that is a waste of information. Here is why menstrual blood deserves attention, what research is starting to show, and what we do with it today.

What menstrual blood is made of

Menstrual blood is not just blood. It is a mix of blood, tissue shed from the lining of the uterus (the endometrium), cervical mucus, vaginal secretions and the microorganisms that live there. That mix carries traces of what happens in the uterus, the cervix and the vagina at the same time.

It also has three practical qualities that no other sample has:

  • It comes every month, for around 40 years of a woman’s life.
  • It is collected without a needle or an exam, at home and in private.
  • It comes directly from the reproductive tract, where many women’s health conditions start.

What research is starting to show

Scientists have been studying menstrual effluent (the medical term for menstrual blood) for several years. A few examples:

  • HPV. Studies have compared HPV testing on menstrual blood collected on a modified pad with samples taken by a clinician. In a US study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology in 2022, 94% of participants preferred the pad to a clinical exam (source). A 2021 study in JAMA Network Open explored the same idea on sanitary pads (source).
  • Endometriosis. Researchers are looking at menstrual effluent to better understand a condition that still takes years to identify. A 2026 systematic review in Diagnostics describes it as an accessible sample with real research potential (source).
  • Period pain and inflammation. A 2025 systematic review in Molecular Pain mapped the inflammatory markers found in menstrual effluent to understand painful periods (source).

Most of these studies are still small, and more research is needed. But the direction is clear: menstrual blood is becoming a serious subject of science.

Why this matters: the women's health gap

Women live longer than men, but they spend 25% more of their lives in poor health, according to a 2024 report by the World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Health Institute (source).

Part of the reason is data. The same report found that only about half of the studies it reviewed analysed their results by sex. When data on women is missing, care is designed around men by default. Add the taboo around periods, long waits for appointments and the fear of not being taken seriously, and many women simply stop looking after their intimate health.

What Red drop LAB. does today

We turn that monthly sample into practical information, in a simple and discreet way:

  • Self-sampling at home. No appointment, no exam table.
  • Analysis in a Swiss laboratory. Every sample is analysed by our partner lab.
  • Results validated by a biologist before they are released to you.
  • Results in the Red drop LAB. app, with support to understand them and the option to book a session with our partners.

Our results are information to help you understand your health. They do not replace a consultation with a healthcare professional.

Where we are going

This is only the beginning. Every sample, analysed with consent and with strict data protection, helps build the knowledge women’s health has been missing for decades. Our ambition is to use that knowledge, with responsible AI and human validation at every step, to bring more useful insights to women and to the professionals who care for them.

It is time to change the narrative

No, menstrual blood is not dirty. And no, periods are not something to hide. They are a window on your health, and it is time we started looking through it.

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