In a significant advancement for women's health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first at-home cervical cancer testing kit. Teal Health, a San Francisco-based medical device company, announced that its Teal Wand, designed for home use, can now be used by women to collect vaginal samples and send them to a lab for testing. The innovation allows women to screen for the human papillomavirus (HPV) — the primary cause of cervical cancer — without visiting a clinic or doctor’s office.

Currently, Pap smears and HPV tests are performed at medical facilities. However, Teal Health’s home-based test offers a discreet and potentially more accessible option for many, especially those who delay screening due to time, stigma, or discomfort. While the kit requires a prescription, users can obtain one through the company's online providers. The product will initially launch in California before rolling out in other states.

Why Cervical Cancer Screening Matters

Cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable, yet it remains a major global health threat. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is the fourth most common cancer among women, with approximately 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths reported in 2022. An overwhelming 94% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where access to vaccination, screening, and treatment is limited.

Persistent infection with high-risk HPV strains — especially types 16 and 18 — is the cause of 95% of cervical cancer cases. While the virus is very common and typically cleared by the immune system, in some women it can persist and cause abnormal cell changes in the cervix. If left untreated, these can progress to cancer over a period of 15–20 years, or faster in women with weakened immune systems, such as those living with untreated HIV.

Prevention is Powerful

Cervical cancer is largely preventable through two major tools: HPV vaccination and regular screening.

HPV Vaccines: There are six WHO-approved HPV vaccines that protect against the most dangerous strains. These are recommended for girls aged 9–14, ideally before they become sexually active. Vaccinating boys is also encouraged in some countries to reduce the spread of HPV in the general population.

Screening: The WHO recommends women be screened at least twice in their lifetime — once at age 35 and again at 45, using high-performance HPV testing. For women living with HIV, the first screen should be at age 25 and repeated every three years.

Self-collection of HPV samples — now backed by the FDA for home use — has been shown to be as reliable as samples collected by healthcare providers. This approach could help reach under-screened women and increase early detection rates.

Signs, Treatment, and Global Goals

Cervical cancer is curable when detected early. Warning signs include unusual vaginal bleeding, persistent pelvic pain, or abnormal discharge. Treatment options include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and palliative care in advanced stages.

WHO has set ambitious global targets for the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2030:

• 90% of girls vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by age 15
• 70% of women screened with a high-quality test by ages 35 and 45
• 90% of women diagnosed with cervical disease receiving treatment

If achieved, these goals could avert 74 million new cases and 62 million deaths by 2120. The FDA’s approval of at-home HPV testing is a step forward in that direction, making cervical cancer screening more accessible, private, and potentially life-saving.

Known as the last stage of the reproductive years for a woman, menopause is a normal part of aging for women. While some women have no symptoms or mild symptoms of menopause, others can face issues like hot flashes, night sweats, trouble sleeping, joint and muscle discomfort, moodiness and irritability, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, or a combination of these.

One other factor of this issue is isolation, as people are not aware of most of these issues. According to the Society for Women’s Health Research, 34% women are not diagnosed with the symptoms of menopause and do not know when they are going through it. 20% of them go through 12 months before their transition through menopause is formally identified by their healthcare providers as well.

As such, many of them are unaware of certain things like what issues that could be facing, and what can make their symptoms better. A new survey commissioned by the Vitabiotics Menopace vitamins showed that women are tackling menopause with are not letting menopause hamper their health or hobbies.

How Do Hobbies Help Women With Menopause?

The research highlighted that a significant portion of these women – one in four – were motivated to take up a new activity primarily to focus on their health and overall wellbeing during menopause. Furthermore, one in five sought these new pursuits as a way to cope with stress or anxiety, demonstrating a proactive approach to managing the emotional aspects of this life stage.

Beyond health benefits, starting new activities has had a positive impact on women's self-esteem. Eleven percent of respondents reported an increase in their confidence, with some even feeling empowered to make career changes. The study also identified additional benefits, such as a sense of accomplishment, a feeling of continued independence, and the joy of having something exciting to anticipate.

What Does Dealing With Menopause Look Like?

According to the Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal feeling strong and in control during menopause can help women see this time in a better way and take good care of themselves. It's important to help women understand menopause better and learn how to deal with it, maybe through special programs.

Most of the things that have been done to help women with menopause are about teaching them things, getting them to move more, eating healthy food, managing stress, being healthy in general, and trying to stop certain diseases and weak bones. Teaching women about their health is one way to help them feel better about menopause and learn how to deal with the changes. This is part of helping women stay healthy overall.

Helping women feel strong and in control during menopause is important for their health as they get older. It can also help them enjoy this later part of their lives. What we found in this study can help people do more research on how to keep women healthy and feeling empowered during menopause.

Exercises That Can Alleviate Menopausal Symptoms

Cardio

Do things like fast walking, running a little, riding a bike, or swimming. These get your heart going and can help you feel less stressed during menopause. Start easy and do it for longer as you get stronger.

Strength Training

After menopause, your bones can get weaker, so it's good to lift weights or use stretchy bands. This helps your bones and muscles get stronger and can also help you burn fat.

Yoga

Yoga and just relaxing can help with menopause feelings. Slow, gentle yoga moves can make you feel less tense and more peaceful in your mind.

Dancing

If you don't like running, try dancing! It's good for your muscles, keeps you flexible, and gives you energy. There are lots of different kinds of dancing to try.

Elliptical and StairMaster

These machines can give you a good workout without being too hard on your body. The elliptical is easier on your knees than running.

Zumba

Zumba is a fun dance workout with Latin music that lots of people like. It helps you burn energy and move your muscles.

Active Chores at Home and in the Yard

Doing harder chores like gardening can also be exercise! It gets your heart rate up and uses big muscles in your legs and middle. Start easy and do more as it gets easier.

Vitamin D—also known as the sunshine vitamin—is one of the most important nutrients we need. While it is widely available in the form of sunlight, some people who get less exposure to it opt for foods rich in this nutrient (like seaweeds) or resort to supplements.

However, for those taking it directly from the sun, it does not mean directly standing in the sun. To get Vitamin D, it requires a proper time and exposure to certain parts of the body to sunlight. For the uninitiated, Vitamin D is synthesised from cholesterol on your skin when it is exposed to the sun.

What Is The Best Time?

Expose your skin to the sun in the middle of the day, particularly in summer. At noon, the sun is at its highest point, and its UVB rays (UV rays with shorter wavelengths) are most intense. That means you need less time in the sun to make sufficient vitamin D.

There is empirical evidence that supports it. A study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, investigated the best times for sun exposure to boost vitamin D levels. Researchers exposed ampoules containing a vitamin D precursor to sunlight hourly from sunrise to sunset in July and December. They found that in summer, the optimal time for vitamin D production was from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with peak hours between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM. In winter, the window narrowed to 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM, with peak production also between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM. The study concluded that the best time for sun exposure in Riyadh during summer is from 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM and after 2:00 PM, while in winter, it’s from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. This approach is a cost-effective and enjoyable way to prevent vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D Is Synthesised By Cholesterol In Your Skin

Vitamin D is made from cholesterol in the skin. That means you need to expose lots of skin to the sunlight to make enough. Some scientists recommend exposing around a third of the area of your skin to the sun. The British Skin Foundation recommends daily sunlight exposure of 10-15 minutes for lighter skin and 25-40 minutes for darker skin.

Why Are So Many Indians Vitamin D Deficient?

• Low sun exposure due to urban living, pollution, and indoor lifestyles.
• Dietary gaps, with many people unable to afford Vitamin D-rich foods like fish, eggs, and fortified dairy.
• Dark skin tones which need more sun exposure to produce Vitamin D naturally.
• Cultural clothing and sunscreen use, which reduce the skin’s ability to absorb UVB rays.
• High testing and supplement costs, further worsened by 18% GST on supplements.
• Rising obesity and chronic diseases which interfere with Vitamin D metabolism.

Thousands of people struggle to sleep across the world. A survey of 45,202 young adults in Norway has discovered that screen-scrolling in bed drives up your risk of insomnia by 59 per cent and cuts your sleep time by 24 minutes. Scientists have found another reason to put the phone down: a survey of 45,202 young adults in Norway has discovered that using a screen in bed drives up your risk of insomnia by 59% and cuts your sleep time by 24 minutes. However, social media was not found to be more disruptive than other screen activities.

"The type of screen activity does not appear to matter as much as the overall time spent using screens in bed,” said Dr Gunnhild Johnsen Hjetland of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, lead author of the article in Frontiers in Psychiatry. “We found no significant differences between social media and other screen activities, suggesting that screen use itself is the key factor in sleep disruption — likely due to time displacement, where screen use delays sleep by taking up time that would otherwise be spent resting.”

Sleep is critical to our mental and physical health, but many of us don’t get enough. At the same time, an increasing number of people are accustomed to using screens in bed, which may be associated with poor sleep. Screen use is thought to impact sleep in four ways: notifications disturb sleep, screen time replaces sleeping time, screen activities keep you wakeful so you take longer to fall asleep, or light exposure delays circadian rhythms.

"Sleep problems are highly prevalent among students and have significant implications for mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being, but previous studies have primarily focused on adolescents,” said Hjetland. “Given the widespread use of screens in bed we aimed to explore the relationship between different screen activities and sleep patterns. We expected that social media use might be more strongly associated with poorer sleep, given its interactive nature and potential for emotional stimulation.”

The findings of this study suggest that it’s not just the content that keeps people awake but the overall duration of screen exposure before bedtime. When people spend prolonged hours scrolling through screens, they might not only be reducing their sleep window but also disrupting their sleep cycles. This can have a cascading effect on overall health, affecting mood, concentration, and even immunity.

Reducing screen time before bed could be a simple yet effective strategy to enhance sleep quality. Setting a digital curfew, using blue light filters, and engaging in relaxing bedtime routines like reading a book or practicing mindfulness can help counteract the negative impact of screens. Sleep experts also recommend creating a sleep-conducive environment by dimming the lights and avoiding stimulating activities at least an hour before bedtime.

With screen usage becoming a significant part of modern life, it’s essential to be mindful of how digital habits influence sleep patterns. The consequences of chronic sleep deprivation extend beyond feeling tired the next day — they can increase the risk of mental health issues, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic disorders. By taking small steps to reduce screen time in bed, individuals can make significant improvements to their sleep health and overall well-being.