Turning menstrual blood into medical insight
For decades, fertility medicine has focused on sperm, eggs, and embryos. But one crucial piece of the puzzle has been left behind: the uterus.
Globally, 320 million women experience infertility, and around 25% of cases are linked to uterine conditions. Yet despite this, the uterus remains one of the hardest parts of the reproductive system to assess safely and consistently. Screening often relies on biopsies that are invasive, uncomfortable and only capture a small snapshot in time.
There has to be a better way.
What if the answer has been there all along?
Every month, millions of people shed one of the richest reproductive datasets in existence. And it’s being flushed away.
Genie Fertility is changing that. Their work is built on a simple but powerful idea: menstrual blood offers a window into the uterus. Not just blood, but tissue, hormones, and biomarkers that can reveal what’s actually happening inside the body.
“Menstrual blood is a window to the uterus.”
— Andreas Hadjimitsis, CSO, Genie Fertility
Rethinking how we understand fertility
Instead of relying on one-off biopsies, Genie analyses menstrual samples using advanced lab processing and multi-omic machine learning models. Their goal is to unlock insights that have historically been difficult or impossible to access, including:
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Detecting inflammation and hormonal imbalances.
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Identifying markers linked to implantation success.
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Uncovering underlying uterine conditions.
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Improving fertility outcomes through better diagnostics.
It’s a shift towards more accessible, repeatable, and patient-friendly testing. If periods are the 6th vital sign, Genie is helping measure it.
This is where Mooncup comes in
Good data depends on good collection. To do this kind of work, Genie needed a way to collect menstrual samples that was:
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Non-invasive
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Reliable
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Repeatable
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Usable at home
Traditional methods of assessing the uterus often rely on one-off biopsies. These can be painful, limited in scope, and not always representative of what’s happening across a full cycle.
Menstrual cups offered something different. They collect fluid directly at source, preserving both volume and integrity, and making it possible to gather consistent samples over time.
A period partnership
Mooncup has spent over 20 years designing better, body-first period care. We’re now playing a role in something much bigger: advancing research into uterine health. Through our partnership with Genie Fertility:
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We supply Mooncups at subsidised rates.
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Study participants use them to collect samples safely at home.
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Researchers receive higher-quality, more consistent data.
Because when you remove barriers to participation, you don’t just improve research. You expand who gets to be included in it.
Looking ahead: a conversation with Genie Fertility
We spoke to the CEO, Anoushka Menon and CSO, Andreas Hadjimitsis at Genie about why menstrual blood could transform the future of reproductive health, and what still needs to change.
Do you think periods will be seen differently in 10 years?
A decade from now, menstruation won’t just be a monthly event. It will be part of a longitudinal data story: a way to understand patterns, detect changes, and build a more complete picture of a woman’s health. As with sleep and recovery, the real power comes from trends over time, not single measurements. Periods will be contextualised alongside other signals - hormonal rhythms, stress, metabolic health - creating a more cohesive and true understanding of the reproductive system.
Culturally, that changes the narrative. When something becomes measurable and meaningful, it becomes easier to talk about. Periods move out of the realm of taboo and into the realm of actionable health intelligence.
What makes Genie fundamentally different from traditional fertility diagnostics?
Traditional fertility workups often focus on sperm, eggs, embryos, hormones; the uterus lining is harder to assess because biopsy is invasive, expensive and samples only a small part of the lining. Genie studies the uterus non-invasively through menstrual blood, using machine-learning models, lab processing and multi-omics to identify biomarkers from the uterus lining.
Can you summarise the role of Mooncup in research?
Mooncup is immensely helpful in offering a comfortable, easy and environmentally friendly way for women to get hold of the rich dataset in their period, through enabling collection for the research we do at Genie.
From first try to lasting change
Many participants in Genie’s studies had never used a menstrual cup before. What started as part of a clinical study often became something more. Participants described the experience as:
“Converted. Now I don’t need to think about buying tampons and can feel better about myself being more eco-friendly.”
- E, 31
“Since trying out the Mooncup for the Genie study, I’ve realised how easy and comfortable it is to use. I can now go about my day without thinking of changing.”
- I, 31
“Mooncup is my first menstrual cup and it does the job well. I especially like using it on lighter flow days because it’s comfortable and convenient.”
- J, 35
For some, using a Mooncup wasn’t just about contributing to research. It was the moment they rethought their relationship with their period entirely.
More than a period product
This partnership is grounded in a shared belief:
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Menstrual blood is not waste.
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Uterine health deserves better tools.
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The 6th vital sign should not be ignored.
And if menstrual blood is the 6th vital sign, then menstrual cups aren’t just period products. They’re infrastructure - for better diagnostics, better research, and ultimately, better outcomes for women’s health.
We’re proud to be supporting Genie Fertility in building the next generation of fertility diagnostics and unlocking the full potential of menstrual blood. For too long, menstrual health has been treated as background noise. Something to manage, hide or get through.
But your period is more than that. It’s a vital sign.
It’s a monthly signal of what’s happening inside your body, from hormones to reproductive health, and like any vital sign, it should be understood, not ignored. And that’s exactly why we’re doing this work with Genie Fertility.
Blog disclaimer
Our blog is intended to share information and ideas around periods, health, and sustainability. While we do our best to keep content accurate and up to date, things can change over time. The information here is not intended as medical advice — for any health-related concerns, please consult a qualified healthcare professional. For more information on our claims, please see our Claims Page, and for the most up-to-date product information, please visit our Product Pages.
