Researchers at McMaster University have developed a groundbreaking solution to make menstrual cups more accessible, hygienic, and stigma-free.
A team led by Professor Zeinab Hosseinidoust from the Department of Chemical Engineering, alongside Associate Professor Tohid Didar, has created biodegradable absorbent tablets designed to work with menstrual cups. These tablets dissolve inside the cup, reducing “mess,” improving hygiene, and even holding potential to detect and prevent infections.
Hosseinidoust said innovation in menstrual products has been long overdue.
“This is a field ripe for innovation. There are very simple needs that are not met,” she said.
According to UN Women, more than two billion people globally menstruate, and in Canada, one in six experience period poverty. The average Canadian spends nearly $6,000 on menstrual products over their lifetime.
Hosseinidoust’s curiosity stemmed from online discussions.
“A lot of people asked, ‘what about the mess?’ It was a simple solution to a simple problem,” she noted.
Students welcomed the idea. McMaster student Dior David said the tablets would make using menstrual cups in public spaces much easier, while Jennifer Abraham highlighted that such innovations “promote conversation and reduce stigma around periods.”
The single-use tablets are biodegradable, flushable, and made from seaweed, addressing both hygiene and sustainability. Despite being disposable, their ease of use and affordability could help more people transition to reusable menstrual products — reducing the billions of disposable pads and tampons used worldwide.
Beyond convenience, the research carries a health dimension. Hosseinidoust’s team is integrating bacteriophages — viruses that target harmful bacteria — into the tablets, allowing them to detect and fight infections such as UTIs, bacterial vaginosis, and staph.
“We’re working on integrating these bacteriophages with menstrual products to detect and get rid of infections,” Hosseinidoust explained.
The research not only advances menstrual hygiene but also aims to transform public perception of periods.
“As a woman, as a menstruating person, you think, ‘really?’ How has no one worked on this before?” Hosseinidoust reflected.
McMaster’s innovation stands as a step toward breaking menstrual taboos and making period care smarter, safer, and more inclusive.
