Meet Sensible of Sensible Pad

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sensible .

Sensible, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Four of us—Nandini Kanthi, Anisha Roy, Esther Ghim, and Sophie Khullar—were in our junior and senior years of high school when we dreamed up the idea of a diagnostic menstrual pad for their HOSA (Health Occupational Students of America) Medical Innovation project. After being recognized as one of the top 3 inventions at the international competition, we pursued further funding to develop Sensible into a real, working product. From there, we recruited a couple more crucial team members, notably Shailen Fofaria and Ishita Bafna to join us as we moved on to next steps! After applying for the Lemelson MIT Grant, being 1 of the 10 teams selected nationwide, we used the funds and support they acquired from a grant. Since then, our team has shifted and grown, but continued to speak at conferences and receive support from various sources, including media like USA Today, WRAL, WUNC, and more!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being a company so focused on a stigmatized topic, menstruation, comes with as much challenge as it does support. Throughout our journey, we have faced various backlash for openly discussing such things, but in a way, it just proves our point and fuels us with the power of our mission. To us, conversation and open discussion by all types of people is an avenue for us to destigmatize menstruation and allow women everywhere to get the health and reproductive information they need and deserve.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Sensible Pad?
Menstruating people living in developing regions are unable to access extensive diagnostics because they often lack the healthcare capital needed to subsidize sterile laboratory facilities and trained medical personnel. As a result, these regions present above average infection and death rates. At Sensible™, we are revolutionizing access to early disease detection for underserved communities by removing the need for this expensive infrastructure. Introducing the Sensible Pad: a low-cost, easy-to-use, and lab-free diagnostic menstrual pad that screens users for cervical diseases by collecting and analyzing menses in real-time. Our device is non-invasive and leverages the one way our bodies expel blood naturally—menstruation. We strive to create a world where menstruation is valued, women’s health is prioritized, and healthcare disparities are sustainably eliminated. That is why Sensible is also reusable, designed with biodegradable materials, and 100% electronics-free. What started as a high school project is now a patent-pending and award-winning invention backed by the MIT School of Engineering.

Contact Info:

• Website: sensiblepad.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensiblepad
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sensiblepad/