‘A medical miracle’: is period blood ‘the most overlooked opportunity’ in women’s health?

NextGen Jane (NGJ), a Bay Area-based startup, is exploring the use of menstrual blood to test for various health conditions, including endometriosis. The company collects used tampons sent in by female volunteers to analyze the menstrual blood. NGJ’s clinical research coordinator, Julia Carr, processes the samples for later analysis. As of the time of the article, the firm has received about 2,500 samples. The initiative aims to redefine perceptions of menstrual blood from being ‘stinky and useless’ to a valuable resource for women’s health research.