Raise your hand if you've ever procrastinated getting your Pap smear. While it's a crucial part of testing for HPV and cervical cancer, the test can range from uncomfortable to downright painful. Between having to strip down and endure the hard metal speculum, it's not exactly a pleasant experience. And for those who've dealt with sexual trauma or who have certain chronic pelvic pain conditions like endometriosis, vulvodynia, pelvic floor dysfunction, or vaginismus, a Pap test can range from painful to excruciating.
This experience is just one factor that can keep women from scheduling regular cervical cancer and HPV screenings. Thirty percent of people in the US with a cervix can't or don't get screened for cervical cancer as recommended, per the National Cancer Institute.
But thanks to recent news, I'm starting to think that I may not hate Pap smears as much anymore. On May 9, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first at-home device for cervical cancer screening from Teal Health. The Teal Wand is an at-home test that can detect human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes 99.7 percent of cervical cancer cases. The testing kit includes a wand that is similar to a tampon in design, as well as a collection kit that allows you to collect a sample from the comfort of your home and mail the sample to a lab.
So why is this such a huge win for women who previously avoided cervical screenings or don't have access to them? To start, women will soon have access to something that puts the entire HPV screening experience into their own hands - no awkward doctor's visit, painful speculum, or wriggling in pain in stirrups required.
And more regular testing for HPV is key for preventing cervical cancer, so if more women are tested, more women have access to potentially lifesaving interventions that can help them take control of their health.
Experts Featured in This Article
Jessica Shepherd, MD, is a board-certified ob-gyn and chief medical officer at Hers.
What to Know About At-Home Testing For HPV
The Teal Wand will be available in June if you live in California, and will roll out to everyone else over the next six months. The brand says they expect to be in network with most major insurance networks, although the exact ones are not confirmed as of yet. According to the Teal website, "The USPSTF has issued cervical cancer screening an 'A' grade, meaning insurers are required to cover it, without copay." So time will tell just how much this will cost if you have insurance, and also what the options will be for people who don't have health insurance.
If you, like me, are wondering if the Teal Health test is really less painful or uncomfortable than an in-office Pap test, here's what Teal Health co-founder and CEO Kara Egan told PS: "The Teal Wand is designed to resemble a tampon applicator, featuring a soft sponge that is deployed by the user and rotates with a dial to collect the sample." If I have to choose between using a tampon vs. getting into stirrups at the doctor's office with a speculum . . . sign me up for the tampon!
The Teal Wand at-home collection kit. Image Source: Nicole Morrison
"We are now providing women an alternative way to screen for cervical cancer - in the comfort of their own home with a device that is comfortable and easy to use," Egan says. "We are enabling women to take control of their health on their own terms."
After you mail your sample to the lab, the results are then reviewed by a Teal medical provider via Teal Health's virtual-care platform. The Teal health providers can talk you through your test results and help you find additional care or testing if needed.
Who Is a Fit For the At-Home HPV Screening Test?
Teal recommends the test for anyone ages 25 to 65 with a cervix. Even if you have been vaccinated for HPV, it's still a good idea to get screened, because it's still possible for you to get HPV. There are over 200 types of HPV, and the vaccine protects you from certain high-risk strains of HPV.
The Teal test is not recommended if you are pregnant, or if you have a history of any type of reproductive system cancer, HIV, diethylstilbestrol (DES exposure), immunosuppression, or have had treatment for cervical precancer, per the website.
Side note: right now, there are no tests to detect HPV in men, who often pass the HPV virus onto female sexual partners. Condoms can help prevent the spread of HPV, but it's not foolproof, so for now, getting screened regularly, getting vaccinated, and practicing safe sex is your best bet for helping to prevent HPV.
Can the At-Home HPV Test Replace Your Pap Smear?
According to Jessica Shepherd, MD, not yet. "The HPV self-collected tests could potentially be one of the ways to help increase cancer screening rates for individuals who have not been screened, [but] it should not replace clinician-collected tests, which remain the standard of care for early detection," she says. In other words, she continues: "It's still important for women to come in to see their healthcare providers and make note that the recent FDA approval should be reserved for women who are not currently seeing their provider or otherwise would not."
The Teal Wand only screens for HPV, so Pap smears are still required for knowing if you have abnormal cell changes in your cervix.
"The Pap test and co-testing [Pap and HPV test] continue to offer the most comprehensive solutions to detect cervical cancer and precancer in women," Dr. Shepherd says. "This new test is just for HPV testing and not a Pap cytology test. It is still seen in studies that both the PAP and the HPV test for cervical cancer screening is the most sensitive."
If you find out you have HPV, it's important that your doctor monitor your cervical health so you can get ahead of any potential changes or concerns - further testing may include a Pap or a colposcopy, according to MD Anderson Cancer Center. It's also not a good idea to skip your annual ob-gyn check-up, because the appointment involves other screenings outside of HPV.
But for now, I'm celebrating this new FDA approval as a win for women's health. We are way overdue for more innovation at the ob-gyn - it's a place where too many women feel gaslit, occasionally tortured (have you ever had an IUD?), and often frustrated and disappointed. So, honestly, an at-home HPV test sounds like heaven compared to the cold metal speculum and awkward stirrups that we're used to.
- Additional Reporting by Alexis Jones
Mercey Livingston is a writer and editor with eight-plus years of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition for media outlets and brands including Well+Good, Shape, and Women's Health. She was the fitness editor at Peloton and held editorial roles at Equinox, Shape, and Well+Good. Mercey is a NASM-certified personal trainer and women's fitness specialist. She's also a certified holistic health coach through the Institute For Integrative Nutrition, with an additional certification in hormone health. She has a BA in journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi.
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