Teal Health has announced the launch of their Teal Wand at-home cervical cancer screening kit and virtual telehealth services in California. This is the first time an FDA-authorized self-collection device for at-home cervical cancer screening is available in the U.S. Since FDA authorization in May, the waitlist for the kit has grown to over 32,000 women. Teal has now begun shipping to hundreds of their earliest wait listers.
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally with around 660,000 new cases and around 350,000 deaths in 2022. Cervical cancer screenings, or Pap smears, are one of the common tools of women’s health, but they are considered inconvenient and awkward by many women.
The SELF-CERV clinical trial demonstrated 94% of women prefer Teal’s test to the standard of care—the in-office Pap smear.
“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,” said Liz Swenson, MD, and medical director of the Teal Medical Practice.
The Teal Wand is a prescription device for individuals at average risk. Eligibility is determined by national screening guidelines, which suggest screening for those 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.
The World Health Organization (WHO), has committed to eliminating cervical cancer as a public health concern. Australia leads the way and is on track to eliminate the disease by 2035, thanks in part to the adoption of self-collection. However, in the U.S., nearly one in three women are not up to date on their cervical cancer screening.
In Teal Health’s early patient population, over 50% of women using the Teal Wand were under screened or had never been screened before—demonstrating the power of at-home self-collection to reach those most at risk of being left behind.
“Teal is a much preferred screening alternative, and we are poised to make a sizable impact on screening rates in the U.S.,” said Kara Egan, CEO and co-founder of Teal Health. “Our goal from day one has been to get Teal into the hands of women as quickly as possible after FDA authorization. We’ve spent years designing a solution that gives women the confidence and trust in this screening method, from our outstanding clinical trial results, to our modern telehealth platform, to the compassionate clinicians who provide care. We are honored to make it easier for women to stay healthy and engaged in their healthcare. We’re proud to be able to serve all women in California, with plans to expand to more states soon and be available nationwide before the end of 2026.”
