The power to eradicate cervical cancer is in sight. Take the pledge to screen.
Cervical cancer is nearly 100% preventable with screening, yet...
U.S. women are not up-to-date on their screening, with fewer women screening every year. This is due to many factors, including limited access, time, and discomfort with the current experience.
close the screening gap
Who should get screened?
How often should you screen?
Once we receive FDA approval, we pledge to deliver a more accessible and improved screening experience.
A thoughtfully designed screening device that is comfortable and easy to use, the convenience and privacy to screen at-home, on your time, and quick virtual access to medical providers who listen and inform.
Make history with Teal Health
The last year was big for cervical cancer screening, but this year is poised to be revolutionary. â¨
See below for the latest updates.
Learn the
and feature history of
cervical cancer screenings
The modern speculum was invented
James Marion Sims, the very controversial âfather of gynecologyâ, is credited with inventing the modern speculum. However, this type of mechanism dates back to at least the Roman Empire.
The Pap smear (Papanicolaou smear) test was introduced
Named after the inventor, George Papanicolaou. At the time, it was a game changer. It was the first effort to detect early cancer. Before 1941, cervical cancer was the leading cause of cancer related death among women in the US.
Henrietta Lacks cells (HeLa cells)
Before a young AfricanâAmerican woman named Henrietta Lacks died from aggressive cervical cancer in 1951, clinicians extracted a slice of her cervical tissue - without her consent. These cells reproduced themselves countless times and the âimmortalâ HeLa cells have contributed to countless medical breakthroughs over the decades and are said to have saved more than 10 million lives.
Discovery that HPV (Human papillomavirus) causes more than 90% of cervical cancers
Due to screening, itâs reported that cervical cancer incidence, and mortality in the US has declined significantly since the 1950's by more than 70%
HPV vaccine becomes available
for children and teens and later extended to adult years. HPV vaccines are close to 100% effective for the prevention of persistent HPV infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
FDA approved the first test using HPV as the primary screen for cervical cancer
Until recently, Pap smears were the only test for cervical cancer. The HPV test is still performed similarly (with a speculum), but the difference is in how the sample is tested. The HPV test, which is a more sensitive screen for cervical cancer than the Pap smear, looks for the presence of the virus, not abnormal cells.
Pelvic exams deemed unnecessary
In 2014, the American College of Physicians argued that pelvic exams are not necessary for non-pregnant women who are not experiencing any problems. In 2018, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published similar recommendations.
American Cancer Society endorses primary HPV test as the preferred screening test for cervical cancer
Cervical Cancer Elimination Day of Action
WHO (World Health Organization), along with all 194 members, announce a global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem. Australia has vowed to become the first country in the world to do so, by 2035. Canada and England have pledged to do the same by 2040.
National Cancer Institute Cervical Cancer "Last Mile Initiative"
Over half of the cervical cancer cases in the US are among women who have been never screened or are infrequently screened, and who do not participate in routine screening. This initiative is to help accelerate the approval of self-sampling for HPV testing. This will provide an alternative screening approach for people who do not or cannot access a clinicâbased, speculum exam for cervical cancer screening
Cancer Moonshot to End Cancer
The Biden-Harris administration reignites this initiative and set a goal of reducing cancer death rate by at least 50% over the next 25 years. Including a specific call to action to help ensure equitable access to screening and prevention through at-home, self-collect methods.
Self-collect becomes available for all Australians
Self-collect first became available in Australia in 2017, but was restricted to under-screened individuals. By introducing self-collect, Australia has seen the screening rates for cervical cancer rise and death rates drop. Australia aims to eradicate cervical cancer by 2035. Thatâs the next 10 years!
Teal completes nationwide clinical study and receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation and self-collection in a healthcare setting is FDA approved
Within the same week, Teal Health is granted FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, placing their Teal WandTM at-home screening device on an accelerated review path, and two Primary HPV tests are FDA-approved for self-collect in a healthcare setting.
Proposed screening update endorses self-collection primary HPV testing
The U.S. moved one step closer to making at-home self-collection cervical cancer screening a reality. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which is a panel of experts who develop the medical guidelines that providers, insurers, and consumers follow, announced an update to the cervical cancer screening guidelines recommending Primary HPV screening, stating self-collection has similar accuracy to clinician-collected tests, and at-home screening can improve access.
2025 and beyond
The Teal Wand at-home self-collection is under FDA review, the final step before it can be available to the public.*
An alternative screening is on the horizon
The Teal Wand is designed for all people with a cervix, and has been clinically tested on all body types.
Learn more about the Teal Wand and join our waitlist to know when it is available in your state.
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*The Teal Health Cervical Cancer Screening device is an Investigational Device and is currently under review with the US FDA.
