The test is now available in California, with plans to expand into more states and be national before the end of 2026.
Teal Health, a virtual women’s health company, announced the general availability of its Teal Wand for at-home cervical cancer screening kit and telehealth services in California.
This marks the first time a US Food and Drug Adminstration-authorized self-collection device is available for at-home cervical cancer screening in the US, according to the company. Teal’s at-home screening can be ordered on the company’s website and is accessible through in-network insurance plans, credit card payment, or with an HSA/FSA payment.
The Teal Wand is a prescription device for individuals at average risk. Eligibility is determined by national screening guidelines, which suggest screening for people aged 25–65. The at-home screening includes both the Teal Wand collection kit and an end-to-end telehealth service providing virtual access to Teal Medical providers who prescribe the kit, review the results from the lab, and support women throughout their at-home screening experience, including the coordination of any follow-up care if needed.
With the Teal Wand, the sample is tested for HPV (human papillomavirus), the virus that causes nearly all cervical cancers, using the same highly accurate HPV test, cobas HPV from Roche, that medical guidelines recommend for cervical cancer screening. The Teal Wand simply provides a different method of sample collection. Women collect their own sample conveniently from the privacy of their home and mail it to be tested at a certified lab.
“Women have been so receptive to using the Teal Wand to collect their own sample from home. We have even seen a large number of women who are well into their screening years, but have never screened. I am so glad we can deliver this solution to them,” says Liz Swenson, MD, OBGYN, medical director of the Teal Medical Practice, in a release.
The SELF-CERV clinical trial demonstrated 94% of women prefer Teal to the standard of care. Since FDA authorization in May, the waitlist has grown to over 32,000 women, and Teal has now begun shipping to hundreds of their earliest waitlisters, according to a release from the company.
The company plans to expand to more states soon and be available nationwide before the end of 2026.
Photo caption: Teal Health’s At-home cervical cancer screening kit is now available in California.
Photo credit: Teal Health
