At-Home Cervical Cancer Screening Expands to Arizona
California set a precedent earlier this year by offering the first FDA-approved at-home cervical cancer screening test, commonly known as a Pap smear. As of Wednesday, residents of Arizona can also access this convenient online testing option.
Nationally, one-fourth of women are overdue for this crucial yet often uncomfortable screening. Kara Egan, CEO and co-founder of Teal Health, has introduced an at-home alternative for Pap smears that specifically tests for HPV, the virus responsible for nearly all cervical cancers.
“In our clinical trial, which was the 16-site nationwide trial, we showed you the exact same accuracy as a doctor when collecting the sample in the standard of care. So we detected disease at 96%, just like the doctor did,” Egan shared.
Traditional in-office Pap smears involve the use of stirrups and a speculum to swab the cervix. However, Egan reports that 97% of participants found the Teal wand user-friendly, and 98% successfully collected a suitable sample.
“We use the Roche-Kobas HPV, it has an internal check. If there isn’t enough sample, they will not run it, they will call it invalid. So only 2% of women will get an invalid. At that point, we’ll just let you know and send you a new kit,” Egan explained.
The wand, described by Egan as similar to a tampon, is designed to accommodate all body types. “So you only insert the wand as far as it’s comfortable for you, and then you just slide the dial up and you rotate 10 times,” she advised.
Once the sample is collected, it is mailed back, akin to the Cologuard test, and subsequently analyzed by a healthcare professional.
