Quick Links to Sections:

• Know your test
• What is high-risk HPV
• Reading your results
• Normal results
• Abnormal results
• Invalid results

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Knowing what type of cervical cancer screening test you have had is important because the type of test performed, along with your current and past results, determines if additional tests or procedures are needed, or when you should screen again.

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What screening test does Teal Health perform?

When you screen with Teal Health using the Teal Wand, you are collecting a sample for a primary HPV (human papillomavirus) test. The Teal Wand is FDA-approved and has a 96% sensitivity – the same as screening with a clinician using a speculum – which means that samples collected with the Wand almost always detect HPV-related precancer when it is present.

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A primary HPV test is the recommended and preferred cervical screening method by the American Cancer Society and the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). This test looks for a current high-risk HPV (hrHPV) infection. Screening for hrHPV is critical because having a persistent or continued infection is the single most important risk factor in developing cervical cancer, as almost all cervical cancers are caused by hrHPV.

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HPV (human papillomavirus) is a group of 200+ viruses. HPV is very common – according to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly all sexually active adults will get HPV at some point in their lives. Some types of HPV cause warts (ie. on hands, feet, or genitals) while others cause infection – if the infection persists, it can lead to cancers of the cervix, genitals, anus, and throat through sexual skin to skin contact.

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Sexually transmitted HPV types are categorized into two groups: low-risk and high-risk HPV. High-risk HPV that persists over many years is the cause of almost all cervical cancers. 

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The HPV types that have the highest risk of causing cervical cancer (high-risk HPV) are used to screen for cancer, while those with low or very low risk of causing cancer are not.

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Teal tests your sample for 14 types of high-risk HPV, which are most commonly associated with cervical cancer. Among them, HPV 16 and 18 are the highest risk types and are known to cause most cervical cancers if they are left without proper follow-up care. We report the remaining twelve high-risk HPV types together as ‘HPV Other’ – these less commonly cause cancers, but are still considered high-risk types that need appropriate follow-up care. 

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Most high-risk HPV infections do not lead to cancer, as our immune systems can clear them within a few years. However, according to the CDC, about 10% of women with the infection will develop long-lasting HPV infections that put them at risk for cervical cancer. This is why follow-up care for an HPV infection is so important to prevent infections from progressing into cancer and to make sure you stay healthy.

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When your results are ready, which should be within a week of your sample being sent to the lab, you will be notified to view them in your Teal portal.

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You will see one of the following results:

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• Normal (HPV negative): means high-risk HPV was not detected in your sample.
• Abnormal (HPV positive): means high-risk HPV was detected in your sample. Your result will specify which HPV types were detected.

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Either high-risk HPV was detected in your sample, or it was not. 

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A normal result means you successfully collected your sample, and no HPV was detected. This is good news! A Teal provider will review your result in the context of your screening history and let you know if any follow-up appointments are needed (such as a video visit) and when you should screen next.

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If your screening history has been:

• Normal (no HPV detected in prior screenings): you will be advised that your next screening is due in 3 years, as recommended by the American Cancer Society and other leading organizations.
• Abnormal (HPV has been detected at least once in your last 2 screenings): A Teal provider may want to meet over a video visit to understand your history better and discuss next steps and future screening plans. They may recommend that you screen again in 1 year.

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If you are not sure of your screening history, it is always best to meet with a Teal provider to discuss your care plan. If you learn more about your screening history after receiving your results, please let your provider know, as this may change when you need to screen again. 

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Once your screening results are available in your Teal portal, they will be accompanied by a letter from a Teal provider outlining recommended next steps.

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An abnormal or positive HPV test result does not necessarily mean you have cervical cancer, however, it does mean you need to follow up with a Teal provider to discuss whether additional tests or procedures are needed.

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With routine screening and appropriate follow-up care, high-risk HPV infections are likely caught in the precancerous phase, when they can be much more easily treated and cervical cancer can be prevented. 

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We test your sample for fourteen types of high-risk HPV: 16, 18, and twelve others (reported together as ‘HPV Other’). All the HPV types we test for require follow-up care to look for changes on the cervix from the HPV infection. 

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If you receive an abnormal or positive result for any type of hrHPV, you need to schedule a video visit with a Teal provider to discuss next steps. The type of HPV, along with your screening history, will help you and your provider decide what the best next steps for you are. 

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In the rare occasion that the lab was unable to determine whether HPV was detected in your sample, this will be reported to us as an ‘invalid’ outcome. If this happens, a member of the Teal team will be in touch to coordinate next steps. 

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This can happen if, for example, your sample did not have enough cells to run the HPV test, if you collected after using certain vaginal products, or had an active vaginal infection. 

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