The Food and Drug Administration just approved an at home test that could be an optional alternative to a yearly pap smear. The test looks for human papilloma virus, or HPV, which causes nearly all incidences of cervical cancer.

Pap smears are a vital tool for preventing cervical cancer because they can detect cell abnormalities before they become cancerous. Unfortunately, systematic barriers or a lack of comfort with the procedure means many people aren’t receiving it.