At-Home Cervical Cancer Screening: Answers to Your Questions
Published: June 2, 2025
Updated: June 5, 2025
Author: Beth Dougherty
Medically reviewed by: Stephanie Alimena, MD
You can now screen for cervical cancer without leaving your home using a prescription at-home test authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The authorized test allows you to collect a vaginal sample at home and mail it to a certified laboratory for analysis.
The test detects cervical cancer by checking for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes between 95% and 99% of cervical cancer cases.
If the result is abnormal, follow-up with a doctor for additional in-person testing is necessary.
“This new technology is very promising because the main risk factor for cervical cancer is not getting screened.
Now that average-risk patients can test themselves, we hope more people will be able to get screened,” says Stephanie Alimena, MD, a gynecologic oncology surgeon in the Gynecologic Oncology Program at Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center.
Cervical cancer is highly preventable through HPV vaccination and regular screening.
However, in the United States, about one-quarter of women are behind on their cervical cancer screenings.
Black, Hispanic (Latina), Native American individuals, and those without health insurance also face disparities in cervical cancer outcomes, including a higher risk of death and undertreatment, partly due to barriers to screening access.
A new FDA-approved test allows individuals to collect vaginal samples at home and mail them to a certified lab for analysis.
The test detects cervical cancer by checking for HPV, which causes 95% to 99% of cases.
If the result is abnormal, follow-up with a doctor for additional in-person testing is required.
What does the at-home cervical cancer test involve?
A Pap test requires an appointment with a doctor.
The test can be uncomfortable because, to collect a sample of cells, the clinician must use a swab on the cervix, which is located at the opening of the uterus deep inside the vagina.
Collected samples may be analyzed for:
- Cell changes (Pap test)
- Cell changes and HPV (co-testing)
- HPV alone (primary HPV testing)
The at-home cervical cancer test, manufactured by Teal Health, differs in several important ways:
- It is designed to make at-home sample collection easier using a wand.
- The wand collects cells from the vagina, which the patient packages according to instructions and mails to a laboratory for analysis.
- The laboratories that process the samples are the same ones that process clinician-collected Pap test samples.
- Samples are analyzed using primary HPV testing. This is the screening method recommended by the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
- It is more likely to detect disease than a Pap test or co-testing.
- If HPV test results are abnormal, a Pap test is performed using the same sample.
- Results are delivered through an app, and patients with abnormal results are offered a telehealth appointment for guidance.
What should I do if I receive an abnormal result from an at-home cervical cancer test
If your HPV test results are abnormal, you will need additional diagnostic testing.
Additional diagnostics may include:
- A Pap test, which is often automatically performed on the same sample if the HPV test is abnormal.
- A colposcopy, a procedure in which a doctor examines the cervix with a microscope and may take a biopsy if anything appears abnormal.
It is important to follow up using available telehealth services and schedule an in-person appointment with a doctor.
“It is vital that patients with abnormal results speak with a physician about the additional testing they need next,” explains Dr. Alimena.
Additional testing allows the doctor to diagnose cervical cancer or precancerous changes, if present, and provide appropriate treatment.
Who can use the at-home cervical cancer screening test?
The at-home cervical cancer screening test is approved for individuals ages 25 to 65 who have a cervix (for example, those who have not had a hysterectomy).
It is recommended for people at “average risk” of cervical cancer.
People at average risk:
- Have had routine screening in the past.
- Have never had an abnormal cervical cancer or HPV test.
- Are not immunocompromised.
- Do not have symptoms of cervical cancer, such as abnormal uterine bleeding.
If someone has had abnormal Pap or HPV test results in the past, they are not considered average risk.
The test is not recommended for individuals who are pregnant, have a history of reproductive cancers, have HIV, were exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES), or are immunocompromised.
Do at-home cervical cancer tests replace regular screenings or Pap tests?
The at-home cervical cancer screening test is an alternative to in-office testing with a healthcare professional.
Your regular doctor cannot order the test for you. Instead, it is prescribed through Teal Health’s telehealth providers.
The at-home test does not replace routine gynecologic exams, which assess the health of reproductive organs including the breasts, vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.
Who needs cervical cancer screening and how often?
Adults with a cervix should be screened regularly for cervical cancer.
This is recommended even if:
- You have received the HPV vaccine
- You are not sexually active
- You identify as LGBTQ+
Screening recommendations:
- Ages 21–29: Pap test every 3 years
- Ages 30–65: Primary HPV test every 5 years. If not available, alternatives include co-testing every 5 years or a Pap test every 3 years.
- Age 66 and older: Screening is recommended unless tests in the past 10 years have been negative and there has been no diagnosis of cervical cancer or precancerous cervical changes in the past 25 years.
It is important to follow these criteria to safely stop screening, because about 20% of cervical cancer cases are diagnosed in people over age 65.
Talk with your doctor about your individual risk factors, such as a new partner, HIV infection, immunosuppression, or prior HPV infection.
If you have had abnormal cervical cancer screening results in the past, these guidelines may not apply, and your doctor may recommend more frequent testing.
Keep in mind that in medical offices, primary HPV testing may not always be available. In those cases, clinicians may follow recommendations for co-testing every five years or a Pap test every three years instead.
