An end to uncomfortable hospital visits? FDA approves at-home pap smear test for cervical cancer screening

This tampon-shaped wand is magical because it can help in cancer screening at your convenience.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Teal's at-home cervical cancer screening test, the first of its kind in the US.

What is the buzz all about? 

The at-home screening test now makes it possible for women to get themselves tested for cervical cancer by collecting a vaginal sample on their own at their convenience and mailing it to a lab for further testing.

The test screens for human papillomavirus (HPV). According to Mayoclinic, there are more than 100 types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Some types of HPV infection cause skin growths called warts and some types of HPV infection can cause cancer. 

How does the test work?

On receiving the kit, women can go through the guidelines and collect the sample at their convenience. Once done, they can seal the sample and ship it to the lab. 

The sample is then tested on a primary HPV test, the recommended cervical cancer screening test by the American Cancer Society and the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). 

The American Cancer Society recommends that 25-65 years old, with an intact cervix, get screened routinely for cervical cancer. Vaccinated individuals are also advised to get screened.

Results of the test would be available in about one week after mailing the sample to the lab, as per Teal. 

The American Cancer Society estimates that in the United States, about 13,360 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in 2025 and about 4,320 women will die from cervical cancer.

"It's just a new way of collecting the sample, it's not a new test. You can actually eliminate cervical cancer in the US, if we actually screen," Teal Health CEO Kara Egan told Business Insider. 

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