{
  "id": 12438740,
  "title": "This Lollipop Could Help Blind Women Independently Detect Pregnancy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/this-lollipop-could-help-blind-women-independently-detect-pregnancy",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-06T18:14:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Smithsonian",
    "slug": "smithsonian",
    "url": "https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/this-lollipop-could-help-blind-women-independently-detect-pregnancy-180989608/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sneha Rao, a design student at Carnegie Mellon University, was inspired to create an edible lollipop that could help blind and low-vision women independently detect pregnancy. The idea came after she read about a blind woman's struggle to take pregnancy tests alone and the broader issue of invisibility and privacy concerns for blind individuals in healthcare design.\n\nRao's invention, Tact, works by detecting the hormone hCG, which is produced during pregnancy, and providing a raised bump on both sides of the lollipop when the user is pregnant. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly nine million people in the United States have some form of vision disability, with 54% of the total population living with vision impairment being women and girls.\n\nStephanie Enyart, a disability rights leader, explains that pregnancy tests are inaccessible because they must be read visually and because the packaging and instructions are often inaccessible. This leads to a lack of privacy and autonomy for many women, who may not want others to know about their pregnancy before they do.\n\nRao's advisor encouraged her to explore the intersection of food and medicine, leading her to consider an edible device that can detect hCG in saliva. Saliva can detect hCG as early as six to ten days after conception, and if the result can be felt rather than seen, the entire device can be consumed after use, leaving no trace. This approach not only addresses privacy concerns but also reduces environmental impact by avoiding the use of technology and single-use products.",
  "summary": "Design student Sneha Rao is developing Tact, an edible pregnancy test that allows people with vision impairment to feel its results on their tongues",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}