On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a first-of-its-kind at-home cervical cancer screening tool in an effort to provide a more accessible alternative to Pap smear tests.
The goal with this new test, which is made by Teal Health, is to allow women who may have trouble booking or getting to an in-person appointment with their ob-gyn to still get a cervical cancer screening. Typically, these types of screens are done during an annual visit using a Pap smear. (There are other self-administered vaginal tests approved by the FDA, but they’re designed to be used in doctor’s offices.)
In the U.S., nearly 13,500 cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed this year, and 4,320 women will likely die from the disease, per American Cancer Society projection stats. It is most frequently diagnosed in women who are between 35 and 44 years old. In theory, this test will help screen for human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer.
Here’s what you need to know about the test, plus what an ob-gyn wants you to keep in mind.
Meet the expert: Christine Greves, MD, is an ob-gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Orlando, Florida.
How does the swab work?
The test—called the Teal Wand—uses a sponge-like tool (that comes in a teal-colored wand) to swab the inside of the vagina. Then, you put the swab into a container and ship it off to a lab.
If your test comes back positive for HPV, which is linked to the development of cervical cancer, you’ll be referred to a healthcare provider for a more traditional Pap test or something called a colposcopy, which looks at the cervix through a magnifying device and allows a doctor to take a biopsy of the area for further testing.
If all of those tests look good, you can wait to be screened again for three to five years.
Christine Greves, MD, an ob-gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies in Orlando, Florida, applauds the new tool’s accessibility, but notes that this shouldn’t replace an annual exam, which includes a lot of different elements.
For example, during your Pap, your doctor will often do a manual exam to see if there are any polyps or growths, a breast exam, and will ask about any menstrual abnormalities. “We can also see a cervical polyp, which does have an increased risk of cancer, when we perform an exam as opposed to the vaginal smear of an HPV test,” Dr. Greves says. “This does not take the place of a regular visit, but it’s great that there are efforts to improve the ability to screen for cervical cancer.”
When will it be available to the public?
Teal Health states in a press release that the company plans to make kits available to women starting in June. It will first be available in California before expanding to other states “as soon as possible.” Right now, there’s an option to join a waitlist which will alert you when the wand is available in your state.
The company is also working with major health insurance providers to try to create “flexible payment options” to purchase the wand. But right now, it’s not clear how much they will cost.
How can I get one?
The Teal Wand is a prescription device that you have to order on getteal.com. You’ll need to make the request online and complete a telehealth consultation with a doctor before getting a test kit sent to you. From there, you’ll take a sample, ship it off, and then get your results.
Ultimately, Dr. Greves says that anything that allows women to stay on top of their health is important. “Make sure that you take care of you,” she says. “Part of that is taking time to make sure your overall health is good.”
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