Last year, the tampon-shaped Teal Wand became the first FDA-approved device for at-home cervical cancer screening, offering a private alternative to the pap smear. Users of the wand also get access to Teal’s telehealth service that matches patients with clinicians who can walk them through the testing process and review results. The swab, which is analyzed for HPV, has been shown in clinical trials to be as accurate as a collection in a doctor’s office. “The innovation is really just designing for what a woman needs,” says Kara Egan, CEO and co-founder of Teal Health. She believes the wand could help improve cancer detection rates. “We have so much to do in cervical cancer: 92 million women need to be screened, almost a third are behind,” Egan says. In 2026, the wand was endorsed by the American Cancer Society and recommended by the Health Resources and Services Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
