This story was originally published by PGN.
Screening for cervical cancer can save your life. It typically involves a Pap smear or HPV test during a pelvic exam by your health care provider to look for abnormal cells in your cervix.
But these tests can also be uncomfortable: A 2009 study found that more than half of women felt anxious or worried about their health during their pelvic examination, and 41.8 percent felt embarrassed and ashamed about undressing.
-risk cases of HPV, a virus that is spread through sexual activity or other close skin-to-skin contact, can cause cervical cancer and several other cancers. However, HPV is very common, and getting it doesn’t always mean you’ll get cervical cancer.
Now, a new at-home cervical cancer screening tool may help make screening easier and more comfortable. On May 9, the Food and Drug Administration approved a device called the Teal Wand.
“There are a lot of reasons why women do not like coming in for a pelvic exam,” Dr. Deanna Gerber, a gynecologic oncologist (cancer doctor) at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, tells Public Good News. “This at-home self-test was shown to be relatively easy to administer and also much less cumbersome than a pelvic exam.”
Read on to find out more about this new device, what it does, who it’s for, and who can access it.
What’s the Teal Wand?
The Teal Wand is a device that allows a person to test for HPV by collecting their own cervical cell samples at home, instead of with a provider at a doctor’s office. It’s meant for women and people with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 65 at average risk for cervical cancer.
How does the Teal Wand work?
You insert the wand into your vagina, similar to a tampon applicator, and swab the area to collect a tissue sample. After inserting the sample into an empty vial, you mail it to a lab, where it’s tested for 14 types of high-risk HPV that can cause cervical cancer.
About a week later, Teal Health will send you your results online.
What’s the difference between an HPV test by a medical provider and the Teal Wand?
The sample you collect with the Teal Wand is the same as the sample your medical provider would collect during an appointment. The collection method is the only difference.
Both samples are then accurately analyzed at a lab for the presence of specific HPV types.
Is the Teal Wand as effective as the HPV test done at the doctor’s office?
Yes. To prove the device’s effectiveness, Teal Health conducted a clinical trial with around 600 participants between ages 25 and 65 across 16 sites in the U.S. The trial asked the participants to collect a sample at home using the Teal Wand and then have a clinician collect a sample to compare the results.
The study found that the results from the self-collected Teal Wand were accurate and comparable to the test done at the doctor’s office and that it can detect precancer 96 percent of the time (the same percentage as the test by a clinician.)
What should I do if my test results are abnormal?
If your test results are abnormal or you have an HPV-positive result, you should consult with a health care provider, who will tell you what the next steps are, which can include further testing.
“Once you have the results, make sure that you understand the results and do whatever the recommended next step is,” Gerber adds. “A good way to think of it is that this Pap smear or HPV test will just give us information on who needs more testing and who doesn’t, and so [the Teal Wand] is going to make it easier for people to know if they need more testing.”
Also, don’t panic.
“It’s important to note that if an individual screens positive for HPV, this is an extremely common finding, and they should know that medical care is available,” Dr. Kristina A. Butler, a gynecologic oncologist at Mayo Clinic, tells PGN. “Most people with HPV never develop HPV-related cancer, and with appropriate ongoing follow up, they can be kept cancer free.”
Where can I get the Teal Wand?
So far, it’s only available in California, but the company told PGN in a statement that it expects to make it available to other states throughout the year and nationwide in 2026.
Once it becomes available, you will only be able to get it with a prescription, according to the FDA’s approval. The Teal Health website connects patients with a provider who can prescribe it after a virtual consultation.
How much will it cost, and will insurance cover it?
The cost of the Teal Wand is still unclear, but the company says it’s working with insurance providers like Aetna, Anthem, and Cigna to get it covered.
Learn more about cervical cancer and the importance of screening here.
For more information, talk to your health care provider.
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