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The test for the coronavirus which originated in China involves taking swab samples to a lab to look for the genetic code of the virus – Covid-19. But it can’t be used once someone has recovered. We hear from a British scientist who’s working on a new test to detect antibodies which are created in the body in response to an infection – so we might be able to tell how far the infection has spread.

Many of the women living in slums in Bangladesh cannot afford to buy sanitary protection to use during their periods. So they cut up old saris and make their own – which they try to wash in secret because of embarrassment. But with shared toilets and little clean water it’s tricky. Now new bags which help to wash and dry the cloths discreetly are being trialled in Dhaka.

Millions of young women are having unnecessary internal pelvic examinations every year in the United States according to a new study. Women should only have such examinations if they have symptoms like bleeding or an unusual vaginal discharge. But over the years many American doctors have carried out vaginal examinations routinely even though they are unnecessary and potentially harmful.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond
Producer: Paula McGrath

(Image: A laboratory technician working on coronavirus samples in Wuhan, China. Photo credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images)