Pap smears suck. This tampon-like device lets you screen for cervical cancer at home

As a woman in the United States, turning 21 means beginning a lifelong journey of getting a pap spear every three years.

It’s not a pleasant experience. You’ll lie down with your legs in stirrups, while your doctor inserts a speculum inside your vagina. Then, she or he will take a sample from your cervix with a hard plastic device to figure out if you have any trace of HPV (the human papillomavirus), a sexually transmitted infection that can cause cervical cancer, or cancerous and precancerous cells.