For some of us, periods come with a wealth of issues including PMS, excessive bleeding and even painful conditions like endometriosis and PCOS.
However, for people who are visually impaired, there is an extra layer of difficulty when it comes to the menstrual cycle. They face unique challenges when it comes to managing their periods – impacting their physical health, emotional well-being, and independence.
To understand more about how impactful this can be, and what can be done to address this, HuffPost UK spoke with Muna Daud, founder of the world’s first patented period detection product — FlowSense — that empowers visually impaired women to independently manage their menstrual hygiene.
Daud explained: “Without being able to visually confirm, it can be tough to tell the difference between menstrual blood and regular discharge. This often leads to confusion, stress, and sometimes mistakes in managing their period.
“Many visually impaired women, out of fear of being caught off guard, wear pads or tampons days before and after their period, which isn’t just expensive and unsustainable but can also cause irritation, infections, or even toxic shock syndrome.”
This, she explained, can lead to a lack of independence for many: “Around 53% of blind women rely on others—family, friends, or caregivers—to confirm if
spotting has occurred or if their period has started. This dependence takes away their privacy and can affect their confidence.”
This dip in confidence is often paired with isolation, Daud says: “The worry of staining clothes or not knowing when their period has started creates a lot of
stress and embarrassment.
“For many, this leads to isolation, with studies showing that 88% of women prefer to stay home during their period.”
Daud added: “To make things worse, most menstrual products aren’t designed to be accessible. Only 1 in 5 products are suitable for blind women, leaving them without the proper tools to manage their period confidently.”
While this may seem like something that would have been addressed by now, Daud says we’ve barely skimmed the surface of the issue. She says: “The menstrual care industry has long overlooked the needs of visually impaired women, offering little support that truly works for them.
“Instead, they’re expected to make do with traditional products like pads and tampons, which lack tactile or sensory features to help with challenges like spotting or telling the difference between blood and discharge.”
She added that while small-scale studies and awareness campaigns, like the research by Dündar & Özsoy in 2020, have provided more information on the issue, there’s been almost no real innovation in creating menstrual products specifically for visually impaired women.
“On top of that, a lack of education for caregivers, healthcare providers, and policymakers has only made the problem worse, leaving visually impaired women without the support they need.”
Speaking about her period detection product, Daud says: “FlowSense is a life-changing device designed specifically for visually impaired women to make managing their periods easier, more private, and stress-free.
“This innovative solution uses disposable chemical testing strips that attach to pads or underwear to detect menstrual blood. A handheld sensor reads these strips and gives discreet feedback through sound or vibrations, letting users know if their period has started or ended—no visual assistance needed.”
She adds that by removing the need for outside help, FlowSense gives women back their independence and dignity. It also cuts down on unnecessary pad usage, reducing the risks of infections, irritation, and toxic shock syndrome while saving money and being more eco-friendly.
Daud explains: “Reproductive health can also be tough to navigate without accessible tools, making it harder to spot issues like abnormal discharge, infections, or even perform breast self-checks for lumps.
“Pregnancy and postpartum care bring their own difficulties, with limited access to user-friendly monitoring tools, apps, and test kits for tracking things like spotting or discharge. Even managing medications can be tricky—reading labels, measuring doses, and sticking to a schedule without help can lead to mistakes.”
While she acknowledges that we still have a long way to go, Daud says that by starting with menstrual health, FlowSense aims to open the door for more inclusive solutions in other areas of health and everyday life.
This mission aligns with broader efforts like the UK’s Disability Action Plan and the WHO’s Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology
