Cover Examining period blood can address multiple health challenges faced by women, such as hormonal imbalance and infections, says Dr Pui-wah Choi
Examining period blood can address multiple health challenges faced by women, such as hormonal imbalance and infections, says Dr Pui-wah Choi
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The menstrual cycle, long overlooked by medical research, now offers a pathway to early disease detection by examining period blood
What if that monthly inconvenience you’ve been dealing with could actually save your life?
In the just-concluded Women’s Health in Focus summit, Hong Kong scientist Dr Pui-wah Choi shared a disturbing statistic: 70 per cent of women in Asia decline pap smear testing, even when it’s free. The reasons are understandable—embarrassment, discomfort and its invasive nature. Meanwhile, cervical cancer continues to claim lives that could be prevented through early detection.
This challenge is what led Dr Choi to make a breakthrough: period blood contains the same crucial health information needed to detect cancer-causing HPV infections, without requiring any invasive procedures.
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Scientific breakthrough: Period blood as a powerful tool
Above Menstrual blood can be transformed from a routine biological process into a powerful diagnostic tool
Menstrual blood can be transformed from a routine biological process into a powerful diagnostic tool
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When Dr Choi began studying menstrual blood in 2018, only four research papers existed on this topic worldwide. This limited research highlighted how significantly this area had been overlooked. She discovered that period blood can be a powerful diagnostic tool, providing accurate HPV screening.
The result is PadX-HPV—a specialised sanitary pad designed for health screening. The process is straightforward: women use the pad during their heaviest flow day for at least four hours, seal it in the provided packaging and return it by mail. Within days, they will receive a comprehensive report screening for 27 types of HPV, including 14 high-risk strains linked to cervical, vaginal and other cancers.
This approach eliminates the need for clinical appointments, invasive procedures or uncomfortable examinations while maintaining the same diagnostic accuracy.
Menstrual taboo is causing medical hindrance
Above Dr Pui-wah Choi (left) wants to overcome period stigma through education
Dr Pui-wah Choi (left) wants to overcome period stigma through education
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Despite the scientific breakthrough, Dr Choi encountered practical obstacles. “Many women express discomfort with mailing used sanitary pads, describing them as unpleasant or inappropriate to send”, she says.
The same cultural taboos that prevent women from accessing traditional pap smears were now creating barriers to this innovative alternative.
Dr Choi wants to counter this by focusing on education and cultural sensitivity. WomenX Biotech, her company, works with communities to reshape perceptions about period blood and its medical value. They provide alternative collection methods, including designated collection points, so women don’t need to handle samples directly.
“We promote menstrual health education to help women understand that period blood is a gift, not a taboo,” Dr Choi says.
Early detection can save women’s lives
Above Dr Pui-wah Choi in her lab
Dr Pui-wah Choi in her lab
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The significance of this innovation extends beyond convenience. Medical research has historically focused on male subjects, contributing to healthcare disparities that can cost women their lives because some diseases are getting detected too late.
Dr Choi says, “My key focus area revolves around finding innovative solutions to address the challenges of early detection and diagnosis in reproductive cancers, particularly ovarian and cervical cancer. By developing non-invasive and reliable biomarkers, I want to improve the chances of detecting these diseases at an earlier stage, enabling more effective management and treatment”.
Dr Choi’s technology addresses multiple healthcare challenges simultaneously: it provides screening access for women who avoid traditional methods, removes geographical barriers to testing and transforms a routine biological process into a powerful diagnostic tool.
Beyond HPV detection
WomenX Biotech’s vision extends beyond HPV detection. The company is developing applications for detecting additional diseases and exploring therapeutic uses for menstrual blood components. They are pursuing regulatory approvals to make this technology available globally, particularly in developing countries where access to traditional screening remains limited.
This breakthrough represents more than technological innovation—it demonstrates how paying attention to women’s biological processes can reveal powerful health solutions.
Suchetana Mukhopadhyay is the Digital Content Manager for Tatler Hong Kong. In this role, she leads all digital editorial and branded content on Tatler Hong Kong’s website, from brainstorming story ideas with the writers to editing and publishing the articles, and from managing the overall content flow to driving search engine optimisation. She also leads the beauty content at Tatler Hong Kong and across the region, and is always looking to champion diversity through her articles. She was previously with Cedar Hong Kong and Gafencu, and freelanced for the South China Morning Post, Campaign Asia-Pacific, CNN and more. Contact her here.
