NHS England rolls out HPV self-testing kits

Please note, information in this blog was accurate at the time of publication. Our blog pages are not updated and some information may have changed since publication.

We know that this will be welcome news for many who find attending cervical screening difficult due to a range of barriers.

In England, 1 in 3 (31.2%) women and people with a cervix eligible for screening were unscreened in 2023-2024. There are many reasons why some people may not attend. This new self-testing option for HPV primary screening provides an opportunity to help address some of those key barriers.

HPV self-testing is different from cervical screening, it can be done by yourself at home or in a private space. There is not yet enough evidence to show that HPV self-testing is as effective at preventing cervical cancer as regular cervical screening. Self-testing provides a new option to help those women and people with a cervix who have not attended cervical screening to be checked for high-risk HPV.

Here’s what you need to know:

This is by invitation only

HPV self-testing will be offered by invitation to women and people with a cervix aged 30-65 who have not attended cervical screening following previous routine invitations.

They’ll contact you

If you are eligible, your invitation will first be sent by the NHS app. You may not be notified straight away as HPV self-testing will be rolled out in phases and will not be immediately available to everyone who is eligible. You are not required to do anything before you are invited.

If you’ve been invited to your cervical screening, it’s still important to attend.

HPV self-testing is a new option for people who are specifically invited as they have not attended cervical screening. It will not replace routine cervical screening.

We have some tips to help make your cervical screening appointment more comfortable.

Your frequently asked questions

We answer some of your most frequently asked questions about HPV self-tests at home.

What is the HPV self-testing kit?

The tests will be posted to people’s houses in discreet packaging, with instructions on how to do the test and a prepaid envelope for posting it back to the laboratory for testing. The self-testing kit contains a swab, like a long cotton bud, which is used to take a sample from the vagina. The test can then be posted back to the NHS for free, where it is checked for high-risk HPV.

What does it test for?

The self-test checks for high-risk HPV. High-risk HPV may cause cervical cell changes. These cells aren’t cancer but could lead to cervical cancer in the future if they are not monitored or treated.

What happens if HPV is found?

If your test results show you have high-risk HPV you will be invited to book a follow-up cervical screening appointment at your GP surgery for a standard cervical screening test. This is so that the healthcare professional can get a sample from your cervix which can be checked for high-risk HPV and changes to the cells of your cervix, which could over time, develop into cancer if not treated or monitored.

Will this replace cervical screening?

No, standard cervical screening is an essential part of the screening pathway. It’s important to still attend if you are invited.

How do I get an HPV self-test?

NHS England HPV self-tests are only available by invitation. Women and people with a cervix who are eligible will start receiving invitations via the NHS App, text message, or letter. If you are invited, you will be able to order a free kit through the NHS App or on your NHS online account.

What is the difference between cervical screening and HPV self-testing?

Cervical screening takes place at your GP surgery or sexual health clinic. During your appointment, a healthcare professional will collect a sample of cells from the cervix using a lubricated speculum and a soft plastic brush. The sample is then tested for high-risk HPV. If high-risk HPV is found, the sample will be checked for any changes to the cells. These cells aren’t cancer but could lead to cervical cancer in the future if they are not monitored or treated.

HPV self-testing can be done at home without the need for a GP appointment or someone else taking the sample. The test involves inserting a swab (a bit like a cotton bud) a few centimetres into your vagina to collect a sample. The swab does not need to touch the cervix. There are full instructions in the kit. You then post the sample back to the NHS for free, where it is checked for high-risk HPV. Self-testing samples DO NOT test for cell changes if high-risk HPV is found. Instead, if high-risk HPV is found, you will be asked to book a cervical screening appointment at your GP surgery or sexual health clinic and go through the process outlined above.

Cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable through HPV vaccination, cervical screening and timely treatment. In the UK we already have a very successful cervical screening programme that saves over 5,000 lives each year. NHS England has committed to the delivery of cervical cancer elimination by 2040. Having more options and reaching those who currently face barriers to screening are important steps towards achieving that goal.

HPV is incredibly common, yet we still carry so much unnecessary shame and stigma around it. I’ve spoken publicly before about my own experience because the more openly we talk about HPV, the more we can take away the fear and embarrassment that can stop people engaging with screening.

The introduction of HPV self-testing is a really positive step because, for me, healthcare should never be one size fits all.
For many people, including Disabled people, survivors of trauma, people who experience pain, anxiety or simply find traditional cervical screening difficult, having another option could be genuinely empowering.

This is about choice, dignity and bodily autonomy. It’s about meeting people where they are rather than labelling them as ‘hard to reach’ when, so often, it is our healthcare systems that have been hard to access.

HPV isn’t something to be ashamed of. Knowledge is power, and giving people more accessible ways to look after their health can only be a good thing.

-Samantha Renke, Broadcaster and Disability Rights Campaigner

In addition to the anxiety that many people face around going for cervical screening, trans and gender-diverse people often have extra worries; such as being misgendered by staff and experiencing gender dysphoria – things which can make it hard to relax and ultimately, will put many people off going.

Providing trans+ people (as well as those with vaginismus, social anxiety and even autism) the option to test at home will be a lifeline for some people and help increase the numbers of those actually getting tested

-Phil Hill, Trans/genderqueer, autistic and vaginismus advocate

Our CEO, Athena, says:

There are many reasons why those eligible for cervical screening don’t attend. Challenges around the type of test it is, limited awareness around HPV and its role in cancer development, as well as practical barriers such as problems around booking and attending an appointment, stop many from going. Cervical screening is designed to prevent cervical cancer rather than respond to symptoms, attending a clinic requires people to actively prioritise an appointment among the many competing demands of everyday life.

Self-testing which can be done at home will be a step-change for many. We have the incredible opportunity to see the back of cervical cancer. How brilliant would that be? But to achieve this, we need to support everyone eligible to attend screening. At Eve we welcome the roll out of this programme and its focus on the audiences who need it most in the first stage of the screening pathway. Looking to the future, we hope that self-testing will provide the under-screened and never screened with a new option to help address some of the key barriers.

This is not a replacement for clinician screening, and we will continue to work with and support those attending their traditional cervical screening, to help make their appointments more comfortable and accessible.
The NHS has set a 2040 target for eliminating cervical cancer. We hope that rolling out self-testing will help us reach it.