An on-line exhibit marking the 25th anniversary of the commercial introduction of the home pregnancy test is now available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.history.nih.gov/exhibits/thinblueline. The exhibit, sponsored by the Office of NIH History, includes a historical timeline of pregnancy testing, portrayals of the pregnancy test in popular culture, and scientific background on the research that led to the development of the test. Visitors to the on-line exhibit will have the opportunity to contribute to the living history of the site by anonymously relating their own experiences with the home pregnancy test.
"This web exhibit is the first of its kind to explore the history of one of the most popular home healthcare products in America," says historian Victoria Harden, PhD, the director of the office of NIH history and the Stetten Museum. "And the research that led to this product was performed right here on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, in the early 1970s."
The home pregnancy test works by identifying the presence of the "pregnancy hormone," human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), in urine. Research that led to a sensitive, accurate test for hCG was done by scientists in the reproductive research branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at NIH. The exhibit includes excerpts from interviews with the two principal scientists whose work led to the development of the test, Judith Vaitukaitis, MD, and Glenn Braunstein, MD
"When we started this research, we had no idea it would lead to one of the most widely used tests today," says Judith Vaitukaitis, MD, director of the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) at the NIH. "Our approach was novel but the research environment at NIH allowed us to be innovative. We worked at the laboratory bench and then could follow patients in the clinic. It was an exciting time."
The test of hCG also had an unanticipated and important result as well. The test was originally developed as a means to track the effectiveness of a treatment for human choriocarcinoma, a deadly cancer affecting women during or after pregnancy.
"The Institute's investment in this research was well spent," says NICHD director, Duane Alexander, MD "Not only did it provide a valuable tool for fighting cancer, it also led to an accurate, easy-to-use pregnancy test that women can use in the privacy of their own homes."
Dr Vaitukaitis was recently inducted into the NICHD Hall of Honor, which recognizes Institute-supported scientists who have made outstanding contributions.