Screening for HPV using the Teal Wand is an alternative to screening in-person for your Pap smear (cervical cancer screening). Therefore, once you have screened using the Teal Wand, you will not need to repeat the test in-office with the clinician.

Teal medical providers will review your results and recommend next steps (if applicable). Abnormal (positive for HPV) results may require in-person care for additional testing, which a Teal medical provider can help to coordinate.

Just like the clinician’s office, your sample is tested for 14 types of high-risk HPV (Human Papillomavirus) that present the highest risk of causing cervical cancer. The Teal Wand is a self-collection device in which the collected sample is mailed to a lab to test for high-risk HPV using an FDA-approved Primary HPV test. Primary HPV tests are the most sensitive and recommended test for cervical cancer screening, as nearly all cervical cancers are caused by persistent HPV infections.

Yes, the lab tests your self-collected Teal Wand sample on the same Primary HPV test (Roche cobas®) for cervical cancer screening that your doctor would use – it is just a different way of collecting the sample. Primary HPV testing is the most sensitive cervical cancer screening test. Our rigorous national clinical trial showed that self-collection using the Teal Wand is as accurate as going into the clinic where a provider collects the sample using a speculum and tests for HPV.

Please note, when screening with the Teal Wand, you are not performing a Pap smear (cervical cytology), which is a less sensitive test for cervical cancer screening. See more information on Primary HPV testing vs a Pap smear.

Yes, the Teal Wand received FDA approval after a rigorous nationwide clinical trial in which the Teal Wand was compared to the in-person exam with a speculum and brush. The clinical performance matched the in-person screening experience, and the Teal Wand was overwhelmingly preferred, with 94% of the participants stating they preferred the Wand to the current standard of screening. Learn more about the clinical trial.

Yes, once you have registered with Teal and before we ship your self-collection kit, you will meet with a Teal provider for a brief 10-minute virtual Intro Visit. During the visit, the provider will review your screening history, discuss the at-home self-collection process, and prescribe the Teal Wand kit if you are eligible.

Teal providers will also be available virtually throughout your at-home screening experience and will advise on next steps once your results are available.

Your results will be available in your Teal portal about one week after you send your sample to the lab. You will be notified via email and text when the results are ready to view.

Teal Health follows national screening guidelines. If your results are abnormal, our providers will advise you on next steps, which can include more frequent screenings, a colposcopy, or a cytology test (Pap smear). We will request that you schedule a virtual follow-up visit with a Teal provider to discuss your results in the context of your screening history, and whether additional tests or treatments are needed. If additional steps are needed, a Teal provider will refer you to a local in-person provider.

If you followed the instructions provided, you can feel confident that you have used the Teal Wand correctly. 98% of users successfully collected a valid sample.

Don't worry, if you don't collect enough sample, the HPV test will not report a result (instead, the outcome will show up as ‘invalid’). If this happens, we will contact you to discuss next steps.

Yes, Teal Health costs can be covered by HSA (Health Savings Accounts) and FSA (Flexible Spending Accounts). Teal Health is working with major insurance plans in California, including Cigna, Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, and Blue Shield of California. We will also have a cash pay option.

Please note, we cannot service Medicaid or Medi-Cal patients at this time, even as self-pay (cash pay) patients.

We are on a mission to get everyone screened for cervical cancer and are always working to expand our network of insurance providers.

The Teal Wand will first be available in California, but we will be expanding to more states soon. Join our waitlist to be notified when we are available in your state.