Revolutionizing Women’s Health: Dr. Sara Naseri’s Mission to Unlock the Power of Menstrual Blood
For generations, menstrual blood has been dismissed as waste—an inconvenience at best, a taboo at worst. But what if it was actually one of the most valuable health indicators available to women? Dr. Sara Naseri had that exact thought, and she’s spent the last decade proving it to the world.
As the co-founder and CEO of Qvin, Dr. Naseri has been on a relentless mission to redefine how women monitor their health—not in a doctor’s office, not through painful blood draws, but through something that happens every single month: their period. With Qvin’s groundbreaking Q-Pad, the first-ever FDA-cleared menstrual pad for health monitoring, Dr. Naseri is proving that menstrual blood holds key insights into everything from diabetes to reproductive health.
But the road to disrupting an industry entrenched in bias and traditional methods? It’s been anything but easy.
From Medical School to Medical Breakthrough
Dr. Naseri didn’t set out to be a health-tech entrepreneur. Born and raised in Denmark, she went to medical school with the goal of improving healthcare for patients. But something gnawed at her: why did so many people only seek medical help when it was already too late? The early signs of disease are detectable long before symptoms appear, yet there was no easy, accessible way for people to monitor their health at home.
At the same time, the world was embracing wearable health technology—devices that track sleep, heart rate, even sweat. But none of it was clinically relevant enough to make a meaningful difference. And then, the lightbulb moment.
“Half the world bleeds every month. Why has nobody looked into that?”
It was such a simple, obvious question—and yet, in 2014, there was almost no research published on the diagnostic potential of menstrual blood. The medical world simply hadn’t bothered. That was the moment she knew: this wasn’t just an idea. It was a mission.
Breaking Scientific and Industry Barriers
With an idea that challenged medical norms, Dr. Naseri moved to the U.S. to research menstrual blood’s clinical utility at Stanford’s OB/GYN department. What she found was astonishing: menstrual blood contains over 400 unique proteins and can be used to detect critical health markers—just like venous blood.
But proving the science was only step one.
To make her idea a reality, she needed to create a product that could seamlessly integrate into women’s lives. The result? The Q-Pad, a modified menstrual pad that allows women to collect samples at home and mail them to a lab for testing.
That’s when the real fight began.
Funding Women’s Health: A Battle on Its Own
Women’s health has always been underfunded. Less than 2% of venture capital goes to female founders. Even fewer dollars go to innovations centered around menstrual health, a subject still surrounded by stigma—even in 2024.
Dr. Naseri had to sit across from male investors who had never thought twice about menstruation and convince them that menstrual blood was the future of diagnostics. The challenge wasn’t just about money—it was about shifting mindsets in an industry that has historically ignored women’s needs.
Even the scientific community was skeptical. One chief scientific officer dismissed her research outright, saying, “I just don’t believe in menstrual blood.”
Not believe in menstrual blood? That’s like saying you don’t believe in gravity. Science doesn’t work on belief—it works on data. And the data was undeniable.
After years of research and development, Qvin received FDA clearance for the Q-Pad in 2023—the first menstrual pad in history approved for A1C monitoring, a crucial test for diabetics. And that’s just the beginning.
The Future of Menstrual Blood Diagnostics
With the Q-Pad now available, Dr. Naseri’s vision is bigger than ever. The team at Qvin is actively researching additional health markers that can be detected through menstrual blood, including:
HPV & Cervical Cancer Screening – A non-invasive alternative to pap smears.
Thyroid Function Monitoring – Helping detect early signs of hormonal imbalances.
Perimenopause & Fertility Insights – Providing real-time reproductive health data.
The goal? To make regular health monitoring as simple as using a menstrual pad.
For women in rural areas or countries with limited healthcare access, this could be life-changing. Imagine a world where a woman doesn’t need to take time off work, travel miles to a clinic, or undergo an invasive procedure to check her health. That world is now possible, thanks to Qvin.
Women’s Health Is No Longer Optional
For too long, women’s health has been sidelined—either ignored, under-researched, or considered a niche market. But with founders like Dr. Naseri at the forefront, that’s changing. Women are no longer waiting for the medical industry to catch up—they’re leading the charge themselves.
“Every human being has good ideas,” Dr. Naseri says. “The challenge is finding an idea you’re willing to fight for.”
And fight she has.
After 10 years of persistence, scientific rigor, and breaking down funding barriers, Qvin is proving that menstrual blood isn’t waste—it’s one of the most powerful, untapped resources in healthcare.
Connect with Dr. Sara Naseri & Qvin:
🌎 Website: Qvin.com
💼 LinkedIn (Company): Qvin
📢 Twitter/X: @weareqvin
📸 Instagram: @weareqvin
🎥 Watch Dr. Naseri’s Work in Action:
The future of healthcare isn’t coming. It’s already here. And thanks to Dr. Sara Naseri, it’s got women at the center.
