The First At-Home Cervical Cancer Screening Wand: Cost, Insurance Coverage and How It Works

Many people fear going to the doctor’s office for a smear or HPV test, but it is no longer the only option to screen for cervical cancer. Now we have the Sarcelle baguette, the first and the only vaginal auto-collect device at home for cervical cancer screening in the United States. It allows people with a collar to easily devote themselves to highly avoidable cancer of the comfort of their house.

After receiving FDA approval in May, the Sarcelle wand is now available in California. By 2027, it should be accessible in the United States. If you are curious to try it, that’s all you need to know.

How the Sarcelle wand works

“The Sarcelle wand is a self-collecting device in which the collected sample is sent to a laboratory to test the HPV at high risk by using a VDA test approved by the FDA,” said Kara Egan, CEO and Co-founder of Teal Health.

The Sarcelle baguette requires a prescription, which you can obtain by Sarcelle health on Getteal.com. First, you fill out a medical eligibility questionnaire, order a screening kit and plan a 10 -minute virtual visit with a Turchas supplier. (You can see the Obgyn and the Practitioner Nurses of the Teal team here.) During the appointment, the supplier will examine your screening story and discuss the process. Once the prescription has been approved, a kit will be shipped directly to your home.

The collection of your sample at home only takes a few minutes. Printing and video instructions can help you guide you and Sarcelle support can answer questions. When you have finished, simply take your sample and ship it to a CLIA certified laboratory with the materials provided. (The clia or the improvement amendments for clinical laboratories are regulations requiring that any installation examines human specimens, such as tissues, blood and urine, for diagnostic, prevention or treatment purposes, to be certified by the Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Services.)

After the laboratory treats your sample, a Sarcelle supplier examines the results in accordance with the screening guidelines defined by the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP). You will receive results in your secure Sarcelle portal in about a week after sending your sample. You will be able to connect practically with a Turchis supplier to discuss all the next steps. If follow -up care is required, the Teal team will coordinate your reference.

What the Sarcelle wand tests

As in the clinician’s office, your sample is tested for 14 high -risk types of HPV (human papillomavirus) which present the highest risk of causing cervical cancer, Egan said.

According to the World Health Organization, 99% of cervical cancer cases are linked to HPV infections. Primary HPV tests are the most sensitive tests recommended by the American Cancer Society and the working group on American preventive services for cervical cancer screening.

According to Teal Health, the Sarcelle wand uses the Roche Cobas primary HPV test, which is the same test as your doctor would use. Teal’s national clinical trial also concluded that “auto-collects using the Sarcelle wand is as precise as in the clinic where a supplier collects the sample using a speculum and tests for HPV”. The Sarcelle wand is simply a different way of collecting the sample.

Who can use the Sarcelle wand?

There are three types of cervical cancer tests: Primary HPV tests every five years, PAP tests every three years and co-tests that combine both an HPV test with an PAP test every five years.

According to the ASCCP guidelines, primary HPV tests by self-collecting, which the Sarcelle baguette uses, is suitable for average risk of cervical cancer. Teal Health follows the directives of the American Cancer Society, who recommend HPV tests every five years for people aged 25 to 65 who have an intact uterus cervix.

Note that American disease control and prevention centers (CDC) recommend that people aged 30 to 65 get either an HPV test, an PAP test or both as a co-test. (This is different from the recommendation of the American Cancer Society, which starts at 25 years instead of 30 years.) If you are considered a risk of cervical cancer, the CDC recommends you to start PAP tests from the age of 21.

For people over 65, consult your doctor. You may no longer have to be detected if you have received normal or negative results from at least three PAP tests or two HPV tests in the past 10 years, or if you have removed your cervix from the uterus during total hysterectomy for non-cancerous conditions such as fibroids.

No matter how, it is important to be tested regularly, even if you have been vaccinated against HPV. If you don’t know which test you suit you, your doctor can help you decide.

Who shouldn’t use the Sarcelle wand?

Egan said self-collecting with the Turchased wand is not currently recommended:

• Patients with cancer in the reproductive system
• HIV patients (human immunodeficiency virus)
• Patients with dietthylstilbestrol, a synthetic form of estrogen)
• Immunosuppression patients
• Patients who have undergone treatment to prepare it cervical, such as the leep (electrosurgical excision procedure in loop) or the cold knife cone
• pregnant patients or within six weeks of childbirth

Does the Sarcelle wand replace a PAP smear?

The Sarcelle baguette is not the same as a pottis PAP (cervical cytology). Instead of an office, samples collected by the clinician with a speculum, as you would with a PAP smear, the primary screening of HPV allows self-collected samples.

Teal describes a PAP smear as being less sensitive compared to HPV tests because it can only detect cellular changes once they have occurred, a potential sign that cancer is already present. This is why PAP smear are done more often than primary HPV tests (every three years against five years). In itself, a PAP does not test the HPV either, which is the main cause of almost all cervical cancers.

“Universally, cervical cancer screening is often called Falstis PAP, but the Froves PAP, as well as the HPV test, are both types of tests for cervical cancer screening,” said Egan. “HPV screening using the Turchased Wand is an alternative to screening in person.”

In other words, once you have detected using the Sarcelle wand, you don’t need to test in your doctor’s office. However, if your results are abnormal and positive for HPV, you may need to get additional tests in person, such as a colposcopy or a PAP smear to check cell changes. Your Turchas supplier will advise you accordingly, according to medical guidelines, based on the HPV type detected and your screening history.

Although Teal Health aims to help people stay up to date on cervical cancer screening, it is always recommended to continue annual preventive care visits.

Sarcelle baguette costs and health insurance

With some insurance companies, the full home screening experience with TV consultations is available for $ 99. Without insurance, it is $ 249, but it is eligible for HSA / FSA reimbursement.

Teal Health is currently working with the following insurance plans in California: Cigna, Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California and United Healthcare. The company aims to extend its coverage and also provide financial assistance if necessary.

When will the Sarcelle wand be available outside California?

Teal Health plans to have the Sarcelle wand available in the United States before the end of 2026.

What is the goal with the Sarcelle wand?

According to Egan, Teal Health’s mission is to improve women’s health experiences. Teal Health is also a member of the cervical cancer round table, a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the Biden Cancer Moshot, a coalition of industry leaders working to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health concern in the United States.

“By creating the option for a woman to project cervical cancer in the comfort of the house and the supply of follow-up of the remote chart, Teal can increase access to this screening for vital cancer, obtain more detected women and work to eliminate cervical cancer in the United States, because it is the only cancer almost 100% avoidable with appropriate screening,” said Egan.