Project Description:

Today, approximately 1 in 15 women in the US don’t have access to a gynecologist, with minority women being affected disproportionately. Many of these women lack accessibility to procedures such as pap smears and routine blood tests that can help diagnose life threatening diseases due to living in rural areas, socioeconomic limitations, and stigmatization from the healthcare system. This leads to developing serious conditions that could be avoided with non-invasive and more private pre-screening tests. Menstrual blood contains key biomarkers that can be used to diagnose these ailments early, but is severely underutilized in the medical field as a diagnostic measure. My team and I created a product that eliminated these issues and will allow millions of women to take control of their own healthcare. The FADpad, the filter adhesive diagnostic pad, is an at-home menstrual blood diagnostic tool that allows users to collect personal health information on their terms. Using this device, women have access to identifying early stages of diseases such as HIV, HPV and cervical cancer. After you receive your kit, adhere the FADpad onto the menstrual pad of your choice and go about your day. When you are ready to change pads, remove and extract the filter paper from our device and place it in our biosample shipping container and seal it back into the kit. After shipping the kit to a lab, we can perform various tests and privately send your results to you. FADpad is safe and easy to use, and allows menstrual blood, which was once considered waste, to turn into a uniquely important diagnostic tool that will help women across the world take control of their own health.