To get screened for cervical cancer, patients in the United States may no longer need to put their feet in those awkward stirrups, brace for the uncomfortable speculum or even take the time off from work for an in-person doctor’s appointment.

The self-administering test aims to provide women with greater access to testing and an alternative to Pap smears.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first at-home test for cervical cancer screening, its maker Teal Health said on Friday, offering an alternative to Pap smears that need to be undertaken at a doctor's office.