The Food and Drug Administration approved the first at-home screening tool to detect cervical cancer, offering an alternative to the traditional Pap smear typically performed in a doctor’s office.

On Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a first-of-its-kind at-home cervical cancer screening tool in an effort to provide a more accessible alternative to Pap smear tests.

The tool will allow women to screen for HPV, which causes almost all cases of cervical cancer, without visiting a doctor. By Maggie Astor The Food and Drug Administration approved the United ...