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The first at-home, over-the-counter antibody test for syphilis received marketing authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday. This means biotechnology company NOWDiagnostics, Inc., which manufactures the test, now has a license to sell it. ... The new test, called First To Know, uses a drop of blood to offer an early indication that a person may have syphilis, with results available in about 15 minutes. The results must be confirmed by a doctor.(Salzman and Kekatos, 8/16)

For some, pap smears are an uncomfortable but necessary evil when it comes to health screenings. For others, it's an experience bad enough to avoid a doctor's visit, risking not detecting cancer cells early. But this year, some health care companies are preparing to introduce self-collection options, allowing patients to skip awkward interfaces with healthcare professionals. (Moniuszko, 8/16)

Removing fallopian tubes during sterilization is about as safe as sterilization procedures that damage the tubes but leave them intact, a new study suggests — a finding that could help reduce some women’s risk of ovarian cancer. Swedish researchers found little difference in the risk for surgical complications between the two methods, they write in the journal Lancet Regional Health – Europe. (Blakemore, 8/18)

Women who received uterus transplants have delivered more than 70 infants worldwide since the first successful transplant in 2011, with 20 cases at a Texas medical center showing about the same success rate as with natural wombs, per new research in JAMA. (Goldman, 8/19)