FDA-Approved At-Home Pap Smear Now Available for Arizonans

Home-Based Cervical Cancer Screening Expands to Arizona

In a significant healthcare development, Arizona residents can now easily access an FDA-approved at-home cervical cancer screening test. Following California’s lead as the first state granted access earlier this year, Arizonans can now order this innovative test online starting Wednesday.

Statistics reveal that 25% of women across the nation are overdue for this crucial yet often uncomfortable screening.

Kara Egan, CEO and co-founder of Teal Health, spearheaded the creation of this home-based Pap smear alternative, which screens for HPV, a virus responsible for nearly all cervical cancer cases.

“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 stated.

Traditional in-office Pap tests typically involve using a speculum and swabbing the cervix while the patient is in stirrups. In contrast, the Teal wand offers a user-friendly experience, with 97% of trial participants finding it easy to use and 98% successfully collecting an adequate sample.

According to Egan, “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.”

The wand, resembling a tampon, is designed to accommodate all body types. Egan explained, “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.”