This company wants to replace your Pap smear — and promises its DIY cancer screening is less painful
Now, a new device — which was recently approved by the FDA — promises to be the first at-home test for cervical cancer screening.
And, according to Teal Health co-founder and CEO Kara Egan, the Teal Wand will revolutionize the way women approach pelvic exams.
4 The Teal Wand promises to be the first at-home test for cervical cancer screening.
Teal Health
'Generally, no one enjoys going to the OBGYN for a routine pap smear,' Egan told The Post.
'Between the uncomfortable stirrups, the paper gown, and the cold, metal speculum, it's usually an unpleasant experience many women avoid.
'In fact, 1 in 4 women aren't regularly screened due to access issues or discomfort with traditional exams. With this in mind, we set out to change the experience entirely, and offer a comfortable at-home option to test for cervical cancer.'
Egan also noted that Pap smears aren't even 'the recommended way of screening' anymore, with modern medicine preferring the HPV test 'because of its sensitivity and accuracy.'
The Teal Wand looks a bit like a tampon applicator, with a soft sponge tip that collects cervical cells for HPV testing.
To use it, women request a kit online, get approved by a Teal Health provider and receive the device in the mail.
4 Egan also noted that pap smears aren't even 'the recommended way of screening' anymore, with modern medicine preferring the HPV test 'because of its sensitivity and accuracy.'
Iryna – stock.adobe.com
After a quick self-collection at home — Egan said 92% of users finished in under five minutes — the sample is sealed and sent to a CLIA-certified lab for analysis.
Results are then reviewed by certified doctors and users can connect with Teal's virtual care team to discuss any next steps.
Each year in the US, about 11,500 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed and about 4,000 women die from it, according to the CDC.
Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers — if it's caught early through regular screening.
But so many women put off or skin their Paps altogether, dreading their recommended annual gynecological exam — and the at times painful scraping of the small brush used to collect the sample from the cervic.
4 To use the Teal Wand, women request a kit online, get approved by a Teal Health provider, and receive the device in the mail.
Teal Health
'Pain and discomfort with the in-office speculum exam are some of the top reasons women are behind on their screening,' Egan said.
'Other reasons include anything from living in OBGYN care deserts, to medical anxiety or sexual trauma, to not having enough time to prioritize their health over their family priorities.'
With the Teal Wand, they are hoping to put the power back into women's hands — literally.
'That's why we created the Teal Wand — to give women the option to screen comfortably from home at their convenience,' she said.
The wand is single-use and Egan noted that it 'will be covered by insurance, with out-of-pocket and HSA/FSA payment options to ensure it is affordable and accessible for all women.'
4 Women collect samples at home and send them to a certified lab for testing.
Teal Health/AFP via Getty Images
And when it comes to effectiveness — the numbers are solid, according to Egan.
'In a clinical trial, it found that Teal Wand's clinical sensitivity is 96%, matching the performance of clinician-collected samples,' she said. 'Self-collected samples had an agreement of 95% with clinician-collected samples, surpassing the threshold for equivalency.'
Women seem to get the hang of it quickly as well — 99% reported no difficulty using the device and 98% of samples were valid for lab analysis.
The new device was just approved by the FDA on Friday. Their decision was based on a study of more than 600 women, which found that their at-home samples performed as well as ones collected by doctors.
While the price of the new wand hasn't been disclosed, the company said it is working with insurance providers for coverage and flexible payment options.
They expect to begin selling test to people age 25 to 65 in June.
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