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Dr Odile Bagot (Obstetrician-gynecologist)
To reduce the anxiety of leaks and the risk of infection, a biodegradable gel capable of transforming blood into gel has been developed by an American team. We explain why it could improve the health and lives of women.
Discomfort in public or at the office, fear of staining your clothes… The fear of leaks is a common concern among women during their periods. To overcome this, researchers have developed a special formula that would allow the blood to turn into gel. Explanations.
Menstrual leaks, a problem that is still relevant today
To help women better experience the delicate period of menstruation, researchers have developed an ecological biomaterial that absorbs blood.
This one “improves the performance of menstrual products by minimizing leakage and blood spillage, while helping to prevent infections“, reveals the Virginia Tech University press release.
Now, if this revolutionary product saw the light of day, it is because “theLeakage is a fear for all menstrual hygiene product users. We have all experienced it, leading to embarrassment and missed days of school and work.“, deplores Carrie Champine, obstetrician-gynecologist in charge of the project, in the columns of New York Post. This intimate product, like other new products currently being developed for women, must therefore “meet the different needs and preferences of women, promote sustainability, and solve the leakage and cost issues encountered with current products“, confides the expert.
Less leakage and greater absorption
It is a powder formula, based on algae, sugar from alcohol and biodegradable alginate-glycerol, which is applied to a cotton pad. This is slipped into a cup or menstrual disc and the collected blood immediately turns into gel. The pad can then absorb more blood and leak less than a traditional sanitary pad.
“A sanitary napkin containing powder absorbs the blood and if you squeeze it, it does not come out. But if you do the same experiment with a normal sanitary napkin, it comes out immediately.”said Professor Bryan Hsu, lead author of the study.
#VirginiaTech Researchers have created an eco-friendly, blood absorbent biomaterial that improves the performance of menstrual products.
Learn more about how it offers progress in women’s health. ⬇️ https://t.co/YOJZ8cOyHg
— Virginia Tech (@virginia_tech) July 10, 2024
A cotton gauze strip filled with powdered biomaterial (left) is then inserted into a menstrual cup (right).
According to the researchers, this process of transforming blood into gel would significantly reduce the risk of damage when removing or changing the product (including menstrual cups).
Less risk of bacterial infections
The cherry on the cake: the powder formula contains an antimicrobial polymer that inhibits the growth of Staphylococcus aureusa bacteria associated with toxic shock syndrome. This rare but potentially fatal condition is caused by a bacterial infection linked to the use of menstrual products.
Test results indicate that the inclusion of the polymer was effective in inhibiting bacteria, without decreasing the blood absorption capacity of the powdered formula.
On this aspect, our expert, Odile Bagot, is not convinced.
“Even if the powder inhibits – in theory! – the development of staphylococcus, there is no proof that there is no risk of CTS by keeping a tampon in for more than 4 hours. Furthermore, stagnant blood, even in jelly, ends up releasing substances linked to putrefaction and giving off an odor”, she says.
A biodegradable formula
Another good point, which can only convince: the powder formula, derived from natural sources, algae and sugar alcohol, is biodegradable.
A great step forward for women, according to Prof. Hsu.
“I think women’s health is increasingly a research topic that people are interested in. It’s kind of the first step in a series of measures to take care of women.”concludes the researcher.
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