Updated July 30, 2026, 11:37 a.m. ET
Cindi Newman hadn’t had a pap smear for three decades. But after the loss of her wife, Nikki Marshall, to cervical cancer last year, she realized that needed to change.
“I thought, ‘No way, I am not going through that,'” Newman, 63, said, remembering the difficult journey Marshall faced with the illness.
Both women had suffered from sexual abuse and avoided regular pap smears because they found them “invasive and horrible.” Newman noted that there were “a lot of misconceptions in our day that lesbians didn’t need to worry about pap smears and HPV.”
HPV, or human papillomavirus, is a leading cause of cervical cancer. Each year, about 13,000 new cervical cancer cases are reported in the U.S., resulting in around 4,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Now, Newman is determined to share her and Marshall’s story to motivate others to prioritize their routine medical check-ups.
Love from 5,000 miles away
Their love story started in 2000. Both newly single, they weren’t looking for love, but the internet connected them as “email pen pals.” After exchanging messages, they felt “instant chemistry.”
“She was a computer geek like me, and a photographer like me. We both liked football. Mine was the 49ers and hers was soccer,” Newman recalled, praising Marshall’s intelligence, creativity, and sense of humor.
“She was just brilliant,” Newman smiled. “Anything she put her hand to, she could do.”
Despite living 5,000 miles apart—Marshall in Glasgow, Scotland, and Newman in Santa Rosa, California— they arranged to meet in person after a few months to confirm their connection was genuine.
“We clicked from the very beginning,” Newman said, noting that Marshall met her family during the visit, and they recognized something “real and unexpected.” During a trip to Scotland, they decided they wanted to build a life together.
“We started exploring immigration options, green cards, that sort of thing, but at the time, there was nothing for lesbian and gay couples unless you had a lot of money, which we didn’t,” she explained.
Despite the obstacles, they became domestic partners in 2008 and married in 2013.
“It was fantastic,” Newman recalled of their wedding under the dome of San Francisco’s city hall.
Everything seemed perfect—until Marshall was diagnosed with cervical cancer.
The onset of symptoms
In 2022, Marshall began experiencing severe abdominal pain. Initially dismissing it due to past digestive problems, they eventually conducted a CT scan that revealed a troubling mass in her pelvis.
A pelvic exam and pap smear caused “so much pain and trauma” that they consulted a trauma-informed specialist at University of California San Francisco, where a transvaginal ultrasound caused more bleeding.
“Then there was more bleeding. And Marshall was postmenopausal, so it wasn’t good,” Newman said.
Tests confirmed their worst fears: cervical cancer, with a large tumor requiring immediate chemotherapy and radiation. A stent was placed to prevent urine blockage due to the tumor.
After grueling rounds of treatment, a PET scan indicated some success, but new lymph nodes began “lighting up.”
Surgery followed, along with brachytherapy, which Newman described as the tumor being “zapped with nuclear medicine” through rods inserted in the area.
“She had to have 12 rods put in, and the nuclear medicine was applied,” Newman recalled, becoming emotional as she described her wife’s painful hospital stay.
Months passed, treatment continued, but more lymph nodes were affected.
“That kept happening until there was nothing more to be done,” Newman said.
Conquering the fear of medical screenings
After losing Marshall, Newman finally began scheduling her own medical appointments, but she was still nervous about the screening process.
The American Cancer Society reports that cervical cancer screening rates haven’t recovered since the lows experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to a decline over the past two decades.
The American Cancer Society recommends that “women and individuals with a cervix at average risk start cervical cancer screening at 25 and have primary HPV testing every five years until age 65.” Other guidelines suggest beginning screening at age 21. Speaking to a doctor about personal risk levels is crucial.
In her search for a more comfortable approach, she discovered the Teal Wand, the first at-home cervical cancer screening kit approved by the FDA in 2025.
Earlier, in 2024, the FDA approved a self-screening swab at doctors’ offices. In 2026, another brand received FDA approval for at-home collection.
For years, HPV testing was done only with in-person pap smears.
After the FDA approvals, the American Cancer Society included self-collected vaginal specimens in their screening guidelines.
Newman found self-collection to be “no worse than a tampon.” She said, “There’s no embarrassment, no self-consciousness.”
Her own diagnosis
After sending her sample, Newman learned she had signs of high-risk HPV. Follow-up care at UCSF confirmed severe precancerous dysplasia—abnormal cells that could become cancerous if untreated.
Her medical team was supportive and understanding, especially given her recent experience, and she felt they were mindful of her need for immediate care.
Now, after following their recommendations, her results have returned clear, and she credits the screening with saving her life.
Newman hopes that sharing her and Marshall’s story will inspire others to take charge of their health as well.
“I feel like I’m on a crusade,” she said. “My life was saved, and my wife’s legacy is about education.”
To those who have been hesitant, Newman encourages, “Things have changed.”
“Please get screened for yourself, for your peace of mind, and for those who care about you,” she urged. “Get screened early. Get screened often. There’s nothing stopping you from that first step.”
