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clock-iconPUBLISHEDDecember 22, 2025
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IFLScience We Have Questions: How Did Frogs Become A Pregnancy Test For Humans?

People were finding out they were pregnant via frogs until the 1960s.

Rachael Funnell headshot

Rachael Funnell

Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the University of Southampton, and specializes in animal behavior, evolution, palaeontology, and the environment.

Senior Science Writer

Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the University of Southampton, and specializes in animal behavior, evolution, palaeontology, and the environment.View full profile

Rachael has a degree in Zoology from the University of Southampton, and specializes in animal behavior, evolution, palaeontology, and the environment.

View full profile
Episode 16 of We Have Questions playing on a smartphone

Episode 16 of We Have Questions.

Image credit: Andychi/chris276644/Eric Isselee/Multishooter/Rudmer Zwerver/Terapong panomupatham/VasylYurlov/Shutterstock.com; modified by IFLScience

We all know that many of the tools in human life have been inspired by nature’s creations, but how often do you stop and really think about where these products come from? A new gallery at the Natural History Museum (NHM), London is encouraging visitors to think more about their impact on the planet, as well as showcasing the inspiring work that demonstrates that, however doom and gloom the news might be, hope is not lost.

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Among its many intriguing displays, we stumbled upon something curious: a frog pregnancy test. We had questions and needed to know more about this item, and we were surprised to find these frogs had a lot to say about women’s access to healthcare in the not-so-distant past. Here’s what we learned from Dr Isabel Davis, Research Leader in Collections and Culture at the NHM.

You can listen to this episode and subscribe to the podcast on all your favorite podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Amazon Music, and more.


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