But just because you might be able to handle cervical cancer screening from home doesn’t mean you should fully stop seeing your ob-gyn—after all, the Pap smear or HPV test is just one part of gynecological care. A pelvic exam (involving, yes, a visual look at your cervix by way of a speculum, as well as pressing on your pelvis externally) can also help detect vaginal, vulvar, uterine, ovarian, and fallopian tube cancers, Christie Cobb, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn in Little Rock, Arkansas, who is not affiliated with Teal Health, points out. So while Teal’s test may replace your in-office cervical cancer screening, it’s not a one-for-one substitute for preventive care visits, she says.
How does the Teal Health at-home cervical cancer screening work?
Getting screened with Teal involves using a self-collection device and connecting with either a nurse practitioner or ob-gyn via the brand’s telehealth platform. You’ll head to the Teal site, request to get started, and then will get synced with a provider who will prescribe the wand (if you’re eligible), explain how it works, and order the lab test, Egan explains.
The device itself works a lot like a tampon applicator: You insert it into your vagina, push the back portion forward to extend a soft sponge, and turn the base to rotate the sponge 10 times to collect your sample. Then, you remove the device and send the sponge in an included mailer to a lab. There, it’ll be tested for 14 different strains of HPV that are most often associated with cancer, just like how a sample collected by your doctor would be.
If your Teal test comes back positive for HPV, that doesn’t mean you have cancer; just like a positive result on a typical in-office HPV test or an abnormal Pap, it just means you may be at greater risk and need in-person followup care (like additional testing and potentially a procedure to remove funky cells). Once your results come back, you’ll have a telehealth visit with a Teal provider, during which they will explain what they mean and either refer you back to your ob-gyn or to one based on your location, insurance, and doctor availability. This part is key, given that an estimated one in eight cases of cervical cancer springs from lack of follow-up care after an abnormal screening. Meanwhile, seeking that care gives you very good odds of avoiding cancer outright or effectively treating it.
How much does Teal cost?
The current price for both the wand and the telehealth consults is $99 with insurance—the company is in-network with Cigna, Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, and United Healthcare. But again, the recent addition of self-collect HPV tests to the HRSA guidelines will require most insurers to completely cover Teal starting next year. (The new recommendations also go a step further, mandating that any additional testing required after an HPV test, like a colposcopy or biopsy, also be fully covered.) “This change removes a major obstacle,” Egan says, “and brings us closer to a future where cervical cancer is preventable for everyone,” not just those who can easily access and afford care.
