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What are the top questions people have about screening and mailing the sample?

Below are some of the most common questions we get asked about screening with Teal and sending in your sample to the lab. If you don’t see your question answered here, you can always search our Help Center to see if it may be answered there, or reach out to us with your question at help@tealhealth.co. 

 

1. How will I know if I did it correctly? 

People often worry that they did not collect correctly, but this is very rare. Over 98% of users collected an adequate sample. If you followed the instructions provided, you can feel confident that you have used the Teal Wand correctly. 

If you successfully collected a sample, your results will be ready about a week after you mail your sample to the lab. If, for some reason, you weren’t able to collect an adequate sample, you will not receive HPV results. Instead, in your patient portal, you will see that the test outcome was “invalid,” and we will reach out to you with the next steps, which could include sending you a new Teal screening box to collect again. 

The primary HPV test we use at the lab has an internal check to make sure HPV results are not reported for any insufficient samples. That means if you didn’t get enough sample, you won’t get a false result; you will just be informed that you will need to do it again. 

 

2. Does it hurt to screen with the Teal Wand? 

No, it should not hurt. The Teal Wand was designed to be comfortable and put you in control – fewer than 2% of our clinical trial participants reported mild discomfort. Almost 1 in 5 of our current patients come to Teal for a less painful alternative to screening, and patients rate the Teal Wand a 4.8 out of 5 for comfort and ease. 

You know your body best. Relax and go slow if you are nervous, and take it step-by-step. Many people have found it helpful to watch the instructional video to feel prepared. You might also consider these helpful tips if you are new to the Wand: 

  • The Teal Wand has similar dimensions to a tampon, so for many people, inserting the Wand might feel familiar to a tampon. 
  • The Wand is sized to accommodate different body types and designed so that you can use it with one hand, but most use one hand to spread the labia and the other to guide the Wand in. 
  • The vagina differs from person to person, therefore, for some the Teal Wand will insert a few inches, for others, it may insert more.

 

3. How soon after receiving the Teal Wand do I need to use it?

You should collect your sample as soon as you can, using the instructions. The Teal Wand has a shelf life and does eventually expire, like many single-use medical devices. Teal Health is able to track the expiration of your Teal Wand. We will not ship you a Teal Wand that will expire in less than 60 days from your prescription. Please complete your sample collection before the device expires. We will contact you as the expiration date nears.

If you have any questions about Teal Wand expiry, please email the Teal Health team at help@tealhealth.co.

 

4. Is the Teal screening as accurate as going into the clinic for my cervical cancer screening? 

The Teal Wand has been FDA-authorized. The sample you collect with the Teal Wand and mail to the lab for testing detects HPV-related cervical precancer 96% of the time, which is as accurate as samples collected by a clinician using a speculum and brush. 

At the lab, your sample will be tested for HPV using the Roche Cobas® FDA-approved Primary HPV test, which is the same test used at the doctor’s office. This is simply a different way of collecting the sample. 

While we might still refer to the cervical cancer screening as the ‘Pap smear’ or ‘Pap test,’ almost all doctors are using HPV testing. And, Primary HPV, which is what your Teal Wand sample is tested with, is the most sensitive screening test for cervical cancer and the recommended way to screen. 


5. Can I screen with Teal if I don’t have my past screening records to upload? 

Yes, you can still move forward with ordering your Teal Wand and scheduling your Intro Visit even if you do not have access to your prior screening records. Please do your best to answer what you can remember about your prior cervical cancer screenings (if any) when you sign up. Your provider will also discuss this with you when you meet them during your Intro Visit, so you can share whatever you recall at that time. 

Once the provider confirms your eligibility during the Intro Visit, they will prescribe the Teal Wand to you, and it will ship to you. Please keep in mind, screening guidelines state you should screen for cervical cancer every 3-5 years if you have normal results (and it is not recommended to screen more frequently than every 12 months). 


6. How soon do I need to mail my sample, and what happens if I can’t mail it in time?  

We ask that you mail your sample via USPS within 24 hours of collecting it. This is because the stability of your sample (how long it can remain on the sponge before it needs to be tested at the lab) has been tested for a specified time period, and the lab has a process for accepting samples within this timeframe. 

Please do your best to mail the sample as soon as you can. The sooner you mail it, the better the chance that it will arrive at the lab in time. 

You can place your sample in an outgoing USPS mailbox (if it fits), bring it to the USPS Post Office, or schedule a USPS pickup (you will also find a QR code on the return shipping mailer we provide to schedule a pick-up). It’s fine to leave your packaged sample in your home mailbox for USPS to pick it up, as it has been extensively tested for temperature and time limits (14F to 104F). 

If your sample does not arrive at the lab in time and cannot be processed, we will notify you to discuss next steps.