The first flushable pregnancy test is set to hit shelves next year

Taking a pregnancy test is one of the most personal things a woman can do and yet, there’s no real way to make it discreet currently.

Once you’ve done it, you have to find a way to dispose of it and most people don’t want it to be visible in a bin.

The good news is, that’s all set to change.

Lia is a company bringing the first flushable pregnancy test to the market. Set to launch next year, this product marks the first real product progression of this kind in 30 years.

“It's been the same stick test since 1987, and that's kind of crazy,” co-founder Bethany Edwards explained to the crowd at TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin.

Wanting to bring something not only more discreet to women but also sustainable and convenient, in essence Lia works much like traditional tests but it’s a much smarter product. The company’s website reads: “There’s no trace, no waste, and no pee going anywhere it doesn’t belong”.

The test will still rely on urine to determine a pregnancy and will show two lines if positive and one if negative but it's made from the same natural plant fibre as toilet roll. It’s designed to withstand liquid for long enough to show pregnancy results but upon being flushed it will biodegrade. Crucially - the creators have stated that, like the current product, it’ll deliver 99 per cent accurate results.

Lia’s flushable test is expected to be available to buy on Amazon in mid-2018 and be priced between £6.70 to £16.39.

With current pregnancy tests adding two million pounds of plastic to landfills, this couldn't be more welcome.