The rollout targets women aged 30 to 65 who have missed screening invitations. Eligible participants will receive invitations through the NHS App, text message, email or letter, allowing them to order a kit online or through the NHS App.
Home Kits Offer an Alternative Route to HPV Testing
The self-testing kits contain a swab used to collect a vaginal sample at home. The sample is then returned to NHS laboratories free of charge, where it is tested for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV).
According to NHS England, high-risk HPV can increase the risk of cervical cancer, and around 13 high-risk types of the virus are linked to 99.7% of cervical cancer cases. If high-risk HPV is detected, the individual will be invited to attend a follow-up cervical screening appointment with a healthcare professional.
The NHS said clinician-led cervical screening remains the best way to help prevent cervical cancer, while self-testing is being introduced as an additional option for people who have not taken up previous invitations.
The move follows evidence from the YouScreen trial, carried out in London in collaboration with NHS England and King’s College London in 2021. According to NHS England, the trial found that offering self-testing kits to women who were less likely to attend screening could increase the number of people screened in England by around 400,000 each year.
Latest figures from NHS England show that 68.8% of eligible women are up to date with cervical screening, below the target of 80%. The health service estimates that around four million women are not currently up to date with their routine checks.
NHS Aims to Improve Screening Participation Before 2040 Target
The new programme forms part of the NHS ambition to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through a combination of HPV vaccination and improved screening access. Dr Sue Mann, national clinical director for women’s health at NHS England, said screening saves thousands of lives each year by preventing cancers and detecting them earlier. She said the home testing option could help address barriers such as embarrassment, lack of time and concerns about discomfort.
Health Secretary Yvette Cooper said the free kits would be offered to four million women who are currently behind on screening, adding that the aim was to make it easier for women to keep up with checks.
Cancer Research UK chief executive Michelle Mitchell said, according to the organisation, that cervical screening can prevent cervical cancer or identify it at an earlier stage when treatment is more likely to be successful. She added that home HPV testing could help more people take part in a way that works for them.
The Eve Appeal also welcomed the rollout, while stressing that self-testing is not a replacement for appointments with nurses or doctors. Chief executive Athena Lamnisos said home testing could help address practical barriers that stop some people from attending screening.
Women aged 24 to 64 are invited for cervical screening every five years, or more frequently if HPV is detected. The NHS has advised that anyone who receives an invitation for screening or a self-testing kit should consider taking part, as cervical cancer can develop without early symptoms.
