Kara Egan

Cervical cancer is nearly 100% preventable if screened regularly. However, one in three women in the U.S. are not up-to-date on their screenings. Busy schedules; lack of transportation, knowledge, or doctor availability; and cost all serve as deterrents, as does the fact that the current screening procedure, the Pap smear, is uncomfortable for many. The speculum, the primary instrument for these screenings, hasn’t been updated in 150 years.

Kara Egan is on a mission to improve this experience and get all women screened for cervical cancer.  As the CEO of Teal Health, she’s providing women a way to stay current on their screenings from their own homes with the first self-collection kit in the U.S. The Teal Wand collection device will allow women to collect samples privately, on their own schedules, and the company’s medical team will connect with patients to ensure they understand their results and any needed follow-ups. Adoption of Teal’s new approach to cervical cancer screenings will be a major step forward in Egan’s quest to revolutionize women’s health care—by putting women’s needs and preferences at its center.

More related to Kara Egan:

• Read Egan’s op-ed in TechCrunch on gender bias in venture capital

• Learn more about Egan’s vision for the product and company

• Join the Teal Health wait list