FDA approves first at-home cervical cancer screening test, a pap smear alternative, company says

The maker of an at-home cervical cancer screening test said Friday it has won approval from the Food and Drug Administration, giving patients an alternative to in-clinic pap smears.

The screening test, called Teal Wand, from women's health company Teal Health, is available for those aged 25 to 65 at average risk. It tests for human papillomavirus, or HPV, the virus that causes nearly all cervical cancers. 

The approval comes after a study from the company confirmed self-collected samples using their device perform as accurately as clinician-collected samples.