The test detects hCG, a hormone specific to pregnancy.
A revolutionary product that can tell women if they are pregnant from just their saliva has hit the shelves in the UK. According to Metro, Salistick is the first product in the world that can determine pregnancy with just a 'spit test'. It will offer women an alternative to traditional urine-based pregnancy tests and is available in the UK and Ireland. The test kit has been developed by a Jerusalem-based start-up Salignostics. The company said it is based on the technology used to make Covid testing kits.
The unique product offers the ability to test anywhere, anytime, and more people can be a part of the testing experience.
For the test to work, a woman must place a foam-tipped stick from the kit in her mouth for a few moments, like a thermometre. This collects a sample of saliva.
She will then transfer it to a plastic tube, where a biochemical reaction takes place, said the Metro report.
The test is based on technology that detects hCG, a hormone specific to pregnancy that helps prepare the uterus for developing the embryo. Its creators claim that Salistick provides highly accurate early pregnancy detection.
Results can be read within five to 15 minutes, said the company, adding that early indications appear as early as three minutes.
According to an old Times of Israel report, Salignostics received certification for Salistick to be marketed in the European Union last year.
It has also applied for FDA approval to sell the product in the US.
Salignostics launched the product after conducting clinical trials in Israel on more than 300 women - both pregnant and non-pregnant.