This Flushable Home Pregnancy Test Is Making the Process Eco-Friendly and Discreet

Whether you've been trying to conceive for months on end or you're crossing your fingers that your missed period was just a fluke, taking a home pregnancy test is no stress-freetask. Not only is there anxiety that comes with waiting for your results, but there's also the fear that a family member or partner will go snooping through your trash can, like a pesky dad on a teen sitcom, to find a bit of a surprise.

Luckily, Lia is here to alleviate at least one of those concerns. Today, the company launched the first and only flushable and biodegradable pregnancy test on the market. Just as with other home pregnancy tests, Lia analyzes urine for small amounts of hCG — a hormone that's produced when a fertilized egg implants in the uterus — and is more than 99 percent accurate at detecting pregnancy when used the day following your missed period, according to the company.

Lia does stand out from the pregnancy tests that line pharmacy shelves in a couple of important ways, though — the first being that it contains zero plastic. Instead, the test is made from the same plant fibers commonly found in toilet paper, and since one test weighs roughly the equivalent of four squares of two-ply TP, you can flush it after use, according to the company. Or if you're a full-fledged tree-hugger or serious gardener, you can add the used test to your compost bin. In either case, your personal results stay that way — private.

Buy It: Lia Pregnancy Test, $14 for 2, meetlia.com

If you don't mind others knowing you're having a child before you share the news yourself, it may seem like NBD to toss your pregnancy test in the trash and carry on with your day. But know this: All that plastic adds up. Roughly 20 million home pregnancy tests are sold each year in the United States, and while some tests can be recycled, most join the 27 million tons of plastic waste that end up in landfills annually, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

There, the plastic can take up to 400 years to fully decompose, and during that period, elements such as wind and ultraviolet light weather it down into smaller particles that can eventually contaminate — and release toxic chemicals into — the environment, according to a 2019 report published by the Center for International Environmental Law. Considering a pregnancy test typically gives you a result just 10 minutes after use, there's reason to ask yourself whether a plastic version is truly worth the lifetime of environmental impacts it creates. (

And thanks to this innovative design, you can even save the results of your Lia test without having to worry about spreading your pee's bacteria everywhere (urine isn't totally sterile). Just allow the test to dry out, cut off and dispose of the bottom half (the part you pee on), and pop that result window in your baby book, according to the company.

Currently, Lia's two-pack pregnancy tests are available for sale online only and ship within one to three business days. So if you want to make sure you have a flushable test on hand when you really need it, consider stocking your bathroom cupboard ahead of time. No matter what results you're anxiously hoping for, you'll be so glad you're prepared when the time comes.