British startup launches tampon that offers STI screening

Daye, a gynaecological health startup in the United Kingdom (UK), has launched a tampon that offers screening of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), British media reported on Monday (Nov 6). The "STI Diagnostic Tampon" uses a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to test for five STIs- chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomonas, mycoplasma and ureaplasma.

This tampon is used in place of a swab or speculum, a report by The Guardian on Monday said. According to Daye, the diagnostic tampon aims to speed up diagnosis and treatment. As per the startup's website, women can order the kit online, collect and send their samples to Daye's partner labs, and receive their results online.

As per The Guardian report, Professor Michelle Tempest from Cambridge University’s medical school said that Daye was redefining STI testing, allowing women to take control of their sexual health “in a noninvasive way in the comfort of their own homes”.

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Meanwhile, Dr Amira Bhaiji, an internal medicine physician, said that this tampon was the perfect solution for increased uptake and accuracy of STI testing. Dr Bhaiji added that the kit would give the users "their ownership back, which historically has been known to be quite a lonely and very personal struggle for some to overcome”.

However, Dr Emma Harding-Esch, an epidemiologist, cautioned on some forms of at-home testing. Dr Harding-Esch said that the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (Bashh) considers testing for organisms of doubtful clinical significance, such as ureaplasma, among others inappropriate, as it could lead to overtreatment.

Last year, Daye launched a vaginal microbiome screening service. Speaking to TechCrunch, the startup said it had “thousands” of customers for this service. Daye has also claimed that tampons are a better testing device than swabs or any other protocols that a patient might be administered at a clinic since its test tampons collect more vaginal fluid and cover a larger surface area.