The most important thing is to trust yourself. The Teal Wand is designed to be quick, comfortable, and easy, but take your time and thoroughly read or watch the instructions in advance of screening. This will help you feel prepared. Do not remove the Wand from its packaging until you are ready to collect. Most women have preferred standing with one foot propped up, slightly squatting, sitting or slightly leaning back (similar to inserting a tampon).

It is also great to plan ahead. Once you collect your sample, you need to drop it in the USPS mail within 24 hours, so it is best to avoid screening on days the USPS is closed, such as Sundays and holidays. You can also schedule a USPS pickup for the day you plan to collect your sample.

Lastly, wait to collect your sample if you are on your period or bleeding, have an active vaginal infection, or have recently used vaginal products.

No, it is not recommended that you use the Teal Wand while on your period or experiencing other vaginal bleeding. Please wait until you are done bleeding to collect your sample.

If you are experiencing abnormal bleeding that has not been evaluated by a provider, you should contact a healthcare provider before using the Teal Wand.

No, do not use vaginal products for at least 48 hours before using the Teal Wand (or 1 week, if you have used Metronidazole Vaginal Gel). See our Help Center for more details.

Once you have collected your sample and packaged it to mail, you must drop it in a USPS mailbox within 24 hours. You can place it in your home mailbox or a public USPS blue collection box. If it doesn’t fit into either of these, you can go to a USPS location to mail it or schedule a USPS pick-up. No additional postage is necessary - the label on the bag covers the shipping cost to the lab.

Please note, your packaged sample can only be mailed via USPS, no other carrier will accept this package.

Your results will be available in your Teal portal about one week after you send your sample to the lab. You will be notified via email and text when the results are ready to view.

Yes, all results are reviewed by a qualified Teal medical provider. Your results will be available in your Teal portal about one week after you send your sample to the lab. Your results will be accompanied by a written note from a Teal provider, which will explain your results and advise you on next steps or when to screen again based on guidelines. You can also message your Teal provider if you have any questions about your results.

Teal Health follows national screening guidelines. If your results are abnormal, our providers will advise on next steps, which will either be more frequent screening, a colposcopy, or a cytology test (Pap smear). We will request that you schedule a virtual follow-up visit with a Teal provider to discuss your results in the context of your screening history, and whether additional tests or treatments are needed. If additional steps are needed, a Teal provider will refer you to a local in-person provider.