Resource Round Up
01. Teal Health
Teal Health cofounder and CEO Kara Egan has helped develop the first at-home test for cervical cancer.
FDA Approves Teal Health’s Teal Wand™—The First and Only At-Home Self-Collection Device for Cervical Cancer Screening, Introducing a Comfortable Alternative to In-Person Screening
The pap smear, the routine procedure in which doctors collect cells from the cervix, is one of the most vital tools for detecting cancer and pre-cancerous cells in women. But, as many will attest, the experience is not pleasant, and screening rates, particularly in minority populations, lag public health goals. [Source: FortuneWell]
Teal Health®, a women’s health company on a mission to eliminate cervical cancer, today (May 9th, 2025) announced the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the Teal Wand™, the first and only at-home vaginal sample self-collection device for cervical cancer screening in the United States. Cervical cancer screenings, commonly referred to as the Pap smear, are critical to a woman’s health, but they are inconvenient and uncomfortable for most. Now women have a new way to screen that is as accurate as going to the doctor’s office, comfortable, and done from home. The Teal Wand is a prescription device that will soon be available at getteal.com for individuals aged 25–65 at average risk. The at-home screening includes both the Teal Wand collection kit and an end-to-end telehealth service providing virtual access to Teal medical providers who prescribe the kit, review the results from the lab, and support women throughout their at-home screening experience.
Cervical cancer is one of the only cancers that is almost entirely preventable with regular screening, yet more than 1 in 4 women in the U.S. are behind. Whether it’s because a woman can’t get time off work, is unable to find an available appointment, or avoids the discomfort of an in-clinic exam, Teal can provide a comfortable and convenient option. The Teal Wand is a preferred alternative, one that has been built with empathy, is driven by science, and designed to make screening easy, so that more women can take control of their health on their own terms. [Source: Teal Health]
Teal Health’s new device, the Teal Wand, allows women to quickly collect a vaginal sample at home for cervical cancer screening. 92% of participants did so in two minutes or less, and 90% rated it as comfortable or more comfortable than a pap smear. [Source: FortuneWell]
Source: Teal Health
“That’s why this FDA approval means so much; it’s not just about an innovative new product, it’s about finally giving women an option that makes sense for their lives—something that can be done quickly and comfortably at home. Because when we make care easier to get, we help women stay healthy, for themselves and for the people who rely on them every day."
— Co-Founder & CEO Kara Egan
02. Trellis Health
Source: Trellis Health
Trellis Health was established to address the glaring gaps in women’s health.
Despite advances in medical technology and research, maternal mortality rates in the U.S. remain the highest of any high-income nation, postpartum care remains nearly nonexistent, and managing health through life’s pivotal stages remains an overwhelming and fragmented experience. With more than 100 million people lacking a primary care provider, women are often left to navigate these challenges alone, turning to Google searches, urgent care visits, and fragmented records to manage not only their health but also their families’ health.
Estelle Giraud and co-founder and CTO Ryan Nabat, are creating Trellis Health to address these challenges by offering an AI-driven digital health platform that acts as a modern-day family doctor, integrating medical data, providing intelligent insights, and ensuring continuous support through pregnancy and beyond. By integrating years of an individual’s medical history, fragmented health data is transformed into actionable, easy-to-understand timelines. Connected to more than 50,000 healthcare providers nationwide, Trellis’s platform provides a new depth of understanding, creating an avenue for women and families to establish generational health.
"For too long, women have been left to navigate their health, and their families' health, without adequate tools, support, or information,” said Estelle Giraud, CEO and Co-founder of Trellis Health. “Trellis Health is changing that, using decades of health history to provide unparalleled context into an individual's health history. We’re building the foundation for generational, proactive consumer health with a private and secure digital health platform that uses AI to translate years of your health context into actionable, intelligent insights paired with innovative care solutions.”
Giraud’s personal journey through pregnancy, combined with her experience in genomics and digital health, has helped shape her vision for Trellis Health. Having spent a decade working with some of the largest consumer health data companies, she witnessed firsthand the sheer amount of health data being generated and how disconnected it is alongside outdated—yet compliant— privacy and security practices. Ultimately, she realized that if we want to rearchitect the healthcare experience and outcomes, we need the full picture—actionable, data-driven insights and lifetime context—and give it directly to the individuals who need it. With Trellis, she is redefining that relationship. Putting women at the center of their own health blueprint to ensure they have the tools, knowledge, and confidence to navigate their health at every stage of life. [Source: BusinessWire]
03. MyUTI
Time to expect more
Women’s health issues, particularly urinary tract infections, are not considered as urgent as other male-centric conditions. UTIs are the 2nd most common infection in the US! Yet, clinicians continue to use outdated and poor treatment solutions when there is technology available.
MyUTI co-founders Lindsey Williams and Megan Henken both realized the care for urinary tract infections, and other female conditions, would always going to be a dead-end for women. So, they decided to do something about it!
MyUTI is first-ever platform dedicated to helping women with frequent and stubborn UTIs by providing reliable testing solutions and support. And they’re just getting started!
Source: MyUTI
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