A New Era for Women's Health: At-Home Cervical Cancer Screening Arrives

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – January 07, 2026 – For the first time, women in every U.S. state have access to an FDA-authorized at-home cervical cancer screening. Teal Health, a virtual women's health company, today announced the nationwide availability of its comprehensive screening service, a move poised to fundamentally reshape preventive care by removing long-standing barriers of discomfort, inconvenience, and access.

The expansion makes the Teal Wand™ self-collection device, coupled with a full-service telehealth platform, available to millions of women aged 25-65. This development marks a significant milestone in the fight against cervical cancer, a disease that is nearly 100% preventable with routine screening but still affects thousands each year, largely due to screening gaps. Nearly one in three eligible women in the U.S. are not up-to-date with their screenings, a statistic that has worsened over the last decade.

"Women have been asking for a better option, and now it is here," said Kara Egan, CEO and Co-Founder of Teal Health. "We are proud to bring at-home screening to women across the country, and we have been building fast to get here, a place where this option is now available for everyone who wants it across the United States."

A Landmark Shift in Preventive Care

Teal Health's model is designed for privacy and ease, directly addressing the reasons many women delay or avoid traditional Pap smears, which can include discomfort with the speculum, past trauma, logistical challenges in scheduling appointments, or lack of local provider access. The process begins online, where a woman can order a kit from getteal.com. A licensed provider from Teal Health then conducts a brief virtual visit to confirm medical eligibility and prescribe the screening.

Once received, the user collects a vaginal sample in the privacy of her own home using the Teal Wand, a device designed for comfort and ease of use. The sample is then mailed to a certified lab in a prepaid mailer for primary HPV testing, utilizing the same FDA-approved tests found in doctors' offices. Results are delivered securely through a patient portal. If a result is abnormal, the platform facilitates a virtual follow-up with a provider to explain the findings and guide the patient to a local specialist for in-person care. The service also integrates with a patient's existing care team, sharing results with their primary care provider or OBGYN with consent to ensure continuity of care.

This new paradigm of patient-led collection has been transformative for early users. In a 16-site national clinical trial, 94% of participants reported preferring the Teal Wand for its comfort, privacy, and simplicity. Early patient reviews have rated the experience 4.9 out of 5 stars, with many describing it as painless, quick, and life-changing.

Backed by Science and Federal Guidelines

The nationwide launch is not just a corporate expansion; it represents the culmination of rigorous clinical validation and a rapid alignment of federal regulatory and medical guidelines. In May 2025, Teal Health received the landmark FDA authorization for the Teal Wand, making it the only device cleared for at-home self-collection for cervical cancer screening. This authorization was granted following the successful SELF-CERV clinical study, which demonstrated the device's high efficacy: it detected cervical precancer 96% of the time, proving its performance to be equivalent to samples collected by a clinician.

Just seven months later, the momentum has been amplified by crucial updates from leading health authorities. In December 2025, the American Cancer Society (ACS) updated its screening guidelines to officially include at-home self-collection for primary HPV testing as a recommended option. This was quickly followed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which also endorsed self-collection HPV testing in its updated guidelines.

This swift consensus between regulatory bodies and medical societies underscores the urgent need for more accessible screening methods. The approach mirrors the success seen in colorectal cancer screening, where the availability of at-home tests since 2016 has been shown to double screening rates and cut mortality rates in half in some populations, proving that reducing friction can have a profound public health impact.

Navigating Access, Cost, and Insurance

Accessibility is a cornerstone of Teal Health's mission, extending to financial considerations. The at-home screening is available for $99 for patients with in-network insurance and $249 for those paying out-of-pocket. The service is also eligible for payment via Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). The company works with most major insurance plans, including Cigna, Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and United Healthcare, though it cannot currently service Medicaid or Medi-Cal patients.

A significant future development will further lower financial barriers. The recent HHS guideline update includes a mandate requiring most private insurance plans to cover at-home cervical cancer screening and necessary follow-up care without any cost-sharing for the patient, which will take effect by January 2027. This provision is expected to dramatically expand access for millions of women.

The Business of Innovation and Public Health

Behind this public health initiative is a strategic and well-funded business operation. Teal Health, a woman-led company, has successfully raised $23 million in seed funding from a roster of high-profile investors, including Emerson Collective, Forerunner, Serena Williams's firm Serena Ventures, and Chelsea Clinton. This strong financial backing signals significant confidence in the company's potential to disrupt the women's health market.

The company's growth strategy involves forging partnerships with insurers, health systems, and employers to integrate the at-home screening into broader healthcare ecosystems. One such collaboration with Thatch Marketplace allows employers to offer the screening as a covered benefit through Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs).

From her experience in the initial months, Dr. Liz Swenson, an OBGYN and Medical Director at Teal Health, has witnessed the profound impact firsthand. "I've spoken with hundreds of women who have completed their screening through Teal," she shared. "Many had wanted to stay current on this critical screening, but were uncomfortable, nervous, or unable to get screened in a traditional setting. Seeing the relief and pride they feel afterward has been profoundly motivating, both personally and professionally. It gives me so much hope for the future of women's health."

In recognition of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month this January, Teal Health has also organized a coalition of over 30 organizations to promote screening awareness. With this nationwide launch, the option to screen from home is no longer a future concept but a present-day reality, bringing the U.S. one step closer to its goal of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health concern.