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A tampon has being repurposed to screen for sexually transmitted infections (STI), with the at-home test aiming to encourage more women to seek treatment.

Its creators, British gynaecological-health start-up, Daye, say the tampon is used in place of a swab or speculum to check for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and other common infections.

Valentina Milanova is the founder and CEO of Daye. She told Newsday: 鈥淲omen find the current set-up of having to go to an STI clinic, having to have a speculum examination in some cases, too invasive and too time consuming鈥�about 70% of female STIs are asymptomatic so you wouldn鈥檛 know that there was something wrong unless you proactively get tested.鈥�

(Picture: Shows a close-up of a woman鈥檚 hands holding a tampon. Credit: Getty Images.)