The Q-Pad Test System by Qvin measures A1C using menstrual blood. It is promoted as an alternative to conventional venous blood testing in patients 18 years and older with diabetes.¹ The Q-Pad Test is made up of a pad and A1C test strip. Menstrual blood is collected onto filter paper using the kit and sent to the laboratory by mail. This test has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

ACCURACY

Three prospective observational studies have evaluated the accuracy of the Q-Pad Test by comparing A1C levels in paired venous and menstrual blood samples (Table 1^2–4). All three studies reported no statistically significant difference. The studies had small sample sizes and used venous blood as the reference standard.^2–4