Korede Abdullah
The scourge of cervical cancer may soon reduce globally with the launch of world’s first tampon-based at-home HPV screening kit. The test kit will allow women to conduct the test at the convenience of their homes.
HPV, the human papillomavirus, is a major risk factor for cervical cancer and this innovation by Daye, a UK-based women’s health startup, targets those who might find traditional smear tests embarrassing or inconvenient. Daye has previously developed similar tests for other sexually transmitted infections.
Daye redesigned the tampon, which the company says has long been overlooked as merely a menstrual care product, into an easy-to-use device for gynaelogical health screening.
Unlike traditional screening methods like swabs and speculums, Daye’s Diagnostic Tampon collects more vaginal fluid than a standard swab and covers the whole vaginal canal, ensuring improved reliability and patient comfort in detecting a range of infections says the company.
Daye founder Valentina Milanova sees their new home HPV test as a game-changer for cervical cancer prevention. “Eliminating cervical cancer by 2040 requires a multi-pronged approach,” she says, emphasizing the importance of vaccination, screening, and individual testing. “We hope to encourage more women to proactively check for HPV.” she stressed.
After the kits passed the clinical stage in 2021, more than 31,000 women were offered the kits by the UK’s NHS to carry out smear tests in the privacy and convenience of their own homes. It was observed by medical experts that the new medical innovation would bring succour to Nigerians and other parts of Africa in the area of combating cervical cancer.
