Lia Test, World's First Biodegradable Pregnancy Test Kit To Be Launched

Ever thought that a pregnancy test kit could be made just out of paper that could be flushed down the toilet after getting the results? The wait for such a product will come to an end soon as the world’s first flushable pregnancy test kit — “Lia Test” would be launched next year.

No more will a woman have to hide the white plastic stick or throw the stick in dustbins, letting them have enough privacy during the anxious moment to know the results. The Lia test kit, like any other toilet paper, is made from natural plant fibers that can be dispersed in water and can be easily flushed out. They are even biodegradable in nature so it will help to keep the surrounding clean, leaving no harmful effects on the environment. The kit would weigh less than six squares of a three-ply bathroom tissue.

This kit would work like any other test kit where the stick reacts with urine to determine pregnancy. If the results are positive, it would display two lines confirming the pregnancy status of a woman, and if by chance the woman is not pregnant, it would display only one line. The kit would be handy and easy to use.

According to the official website of Lia Diagnostics, usually, the pregnancy test kits’ waste produces nearly two million pounds of plastic every year in the United States which can just be avoided with the new product.

The official website of Lia Diagnostics explained that the kit is over 99 percent accurate on the first day of a woman’s missed period and it would also provide a wider collection area for peeing, unlike the usual testing kits. It is extremely light and weighs less than six squares of standard toilet paper and is more than 98 percent biodegradable in the soil in just three months. The kit would have a shelf life of 18-months in its pouch under normal conditions.

The website also explains that the kit is safe to use as the kit has a coating that keeps the liquid at bay, long enough to take the test and then eventually breaks down like toilet paper when flushed.

According to a report in the TechCrunch, Bethany Edwards, the founder of Lia Diagnostics said: “Single-use diagnostics are only used for a couple of minutes, and they’re all made out of plastic and non-sustainable materials.”

“It’s been the same stick test since 1987, and that’s kind of crazy,” she added while explaining her thought of redesigning the pregnancy test kit to make it decomposable.

According to the TechCrunch, Lia announced that it has received FDA approval and would start selling the test kit online by mid-2018. The test kit will cost approximately between $9 and $22 and would be sold by online shopping website Amazon and Lia Diagnostics itself.