Israeli start-up launches ‘novel’ period product to help women monitor their health

Israeli femtech start-up Gals Bio has launched a “novel” period product to help women better monitor their health.

Tulipon is a product that is used like a tampon but functions like a menstrual cup, collecting menstrual blood and vaginal secretions. Its two-part system includes a water-soluble applicator and a recyclable collection cup that can be worn for up to 12 hours.

With its added layer of biomarker monitoring, Gals Bio says Tulipon can essentially turn women’s monthly bleeding into a “biopsy” used to monitor and screen their health. The two available biomarkers the product is using are the menstrual bleeding amount and vaginal pH.

“Tulipon offers a comprehensive solution for menstrual care while empowering users to monitor their health effortlessly from home,” said Hilla Shaviv, founder and CEO of Gals Bio and inventor of Tulipon.

We are thrilled to introduce this product born from years of research and development in women’s health.

According to Gals Bio, Tulipon has already undergone clinical testing, having been tried by menstruators across thousands of units and multiple cycles, resulting in a 90 per cent satisfaction rate.

In a recent survey of 2,000 menstruators, the company found that 40 per cent of participants indicated they are not happy with their current menstrual products and 61 per cent said they occasionally buy different brands.

Around 50 per cent reported they tried a menstrual cup, but they did not feel it worked for them.

‘Bold, visionary and well-engineered’

With a capacity of 45ml, equivalent to three or four large tampons, Gals Bio says its product caters to any heavy bleeders, physically active and environmentally aware menstruators.

One of the unique features of Tulipon, the company argues, is its “liquid lock” mechanism that allows the product to hold menstrual fluid securely after it is removed, solving a problem with menstrual cups that makes them challenging to use.

Additionally, the AI health monitoring feature allows the product to help women monitor their vaginal pH level and monthly bleeding amount and, in some cases, spot signs of pre-menopause, iron deficiency and pathogens including STIs.

“Tulipon is a unique approach to women’s menstrual health,” explained Amos Ber, OB/GYN and chief medical officer at Gals Bio.

“It will finally give an answer to women experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding and it will enable women even better health monitoring by leveraging this monthly information and creating a new and meaningful approach to women’s health.”

Ida Tin, founder and chairperson of Clue, said: “Tulipon is an exciting new innovation in female hygiene products that have seen too little innovation.

“I’m excited to try this new product that solves some of my frustrations with tampons – I can now sleep a whole night through without worrying that the Tulipon has been in for too long. It’s a bold, visionary, and well-engineered product that think many will welcome.”

Brittany Barreto, president and founder of Femhealth Insights, added: “Tulipon is set to revolutionise how we menstruate.

“I have personally worn Tulipon and found it incredibly easy to use and totally unnoticeable throughout my day. It’s exciting to see expert engineering and product design come to the menstrual health space.”