Scientists have developed a test integrated into menstrual pads that measures anti-Müllerian hormone levels in period blood to gauge ovarian reserve. This non-invasive tool could allow women to monitor fertility changes at home without clinic visits. The innovation promises easier tracking of egg supply over time.
A team led by Lucas Dosnon at ETH Zurich in Switzerland has created a simple diagnostic strip that detects anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), a key indicator of ovarian reserve, directly from menstrual blood. AMH levels provide a rough estimate of the number of eggs a woman has left, declining with age. High levels suggest a strong supply, while low ones may point to diminished reserve or early menopause.
Traditional AMH tests require blood samples processed in labs, either through clinic draws or home finger-pricks. In contrast, this new method uses a lateral flow assay, akin to rapid covid-19 tests, with gold-coated particles bound to AMH-specific antibodies. When exposed to menstrual blood, it produces a visible line whose intensity correlates with hormone concentration—the darker the line, the higher the AMH.
For accuracy, users can photograph the strip, and a trained smartphone app delivers precise readings that align closely with lab results. The researchers have embedded the test into a menstrual pad, enabling passive monitoring during menstruation. This setup could reveal long-term trends missed by one-off tests, aiding fertility planning or treatment.
“We believe that this work could be transformative for women’s health,” Dosnon said, highlighting applications like IVF monitoring or spotting conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome, linked to elevated AMH, or rare ovarian tumors. He added, “Menstrual blood is an underutilised resource that actually holds a lot of promises for health monitoring as a whole.”
However, Richard Anderson at the University of Edinburgh cautioned that interpreting home tests clinically is tricky, as AMH reveals quantity but not egg quality. He questioned whether the pad's convenience outweighs reliable blood tests. Dosnon clarified that the tool complements, rather than replaces, lab diagnostics, offering non-invasive, affordable, and user-friendly benefits.
The findings appear in a medRxiv preprint (DOI: 10.64898/2025.12.18.25342545).
