AI for Your Knickers: The Smart Pad Revolutionising Period Care
For centuries, women have managed their periods using everything from homemade cloths to modern innovations like menstrual cups and period pants. Now, a groundbreaking development is set to transform menstrual healthcare: the AI sanitary pad.
Launched in November 2025, Joii represents the world's first AI-powered menstrual health application. When used alongside specially designed sanitary pads, this innovative technology claims to measure 'blood volume and clot size with clinical precision', providing users with objective data about their menstrual flow.
How Does the AI Sanitary Pad Work?
Founder Justyna Strzeszynska developed Joii following her personal struggle to receive a fibroids diagnosis, which left her anaemic. She explains that during medical consultations, professionals would inquire about her flow, but she lacked any benchmark for measurement.
'Most of us are taught to self-assess our bleeding as light, medium, or heavy, without any real reference point,' Strzeszynska told Metro. 'Joii provides measurement rather than estimation.'
The system operates through a straightforward process. Before using a pad, individuals scan it with their smartphone, registering it within the Joii app and granting permission to track blood loss. The AI technology, integrated into the specially designed pads, then measures volume and clot size.
Similar to conventional period tracking applications, Joii also enables users to monitor additional menstrual symptoms, ranking their severity. These include:
- Pelvic pain
- Discomfort during intercourse
- Brain fog
- Fatigue
What Constitutes 'Abnormal' Bleeding?
Rather than establishing rigid definitions of 'abnormal' bleeding, Joii incorporates clinically approved guidance from both the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
These established medical guidelines indicate that:
- Losing between 10 and 80ml of blood during menstruation falls within the expected range
- Any flow consistently measuring above 80ml meets the clinical definition of 'heavy menstrual bleeding'
- Particularly light or shorter flows might indicate specific hormonal or medical conditions
Strzeszynska emphasises that Joii doesn't make assumptions about why flows might be lighter or heavier, simply providing the data for informed discussions with healthcare providers.
Expert Opinions: Help or Hindrance?
Specialist pelvic health physiotherapist Tiffany Sequeira acknowledges that measuring blood loss more objectively could prove valuable, mainly because terms like 'heavy' and 'light' remain highly subjective.
'Heavy menstrual bleeding is defined as around 80ml or more, but most women have no way of knowing where they fall,' Sequeira explained. Regarding clots, she noted that clinically, specialists typically show concern when clots reach 'around the size of a 10p coin' or appear frequently.
However, Ashfaq Khan, a consultant obstetrician and Harley Street gynaecologist, expresses reservations. He believes regular measurement of period bleeding 'generally not helpful' for the average person, unless they experience particularly heavy periods or anaemia-related irregularities.
'Such tools are unlikely to add meaningful value,' Khan stated, suggesting that clot size can be assessed visually without AI intervention. He also raised concerns about women potentially choosing inferior-quality pads simply for measurement capabilities.
Both experts agree that while technology can empower individuals with data for medical consultations, basic body awareness remains equally powerful. Sequeira recommends paying attention to how often you change protection and noticing symptoms like flooding or clots to spot changes early.
As Strzeszynska powerfully concludes: 'Measuring blood loss is simply the next step to better understanding our bodies and demanding the care we deserve. We want every woman to have proof, not just pain.'
