Should you self-test if you have HPV?

If you have tested positive for HPV or have been told you have early cervical changes (such as CIN1), you may wonder whether you can check sooner than the NHS schedule allows.

Under current NHS guidelines, you may have another smear test scheduled for 12 months’ time. Some people turn to self-testing to find out sooner.

What are your options for earlier HPV testing?

At present, the only validated route is to arrange a HPV test privately. Clinicians use regulated, clinically validated HPV tests, and the process must comply with UK diagnostic standards.

There are also commercial self-sampling kits available. They include not just the kit but also the laboratory service to analyse your sample and send a report. These services have generally shown good accuracy, although the NHS does not currently accept their results because they use different testing platforms and laboratory procedures.

You can see the list of HPV tests approved for NHS screening here: UK Government: Acceptable HPV tests

Why is the NHS cautious about self-testing?

The main concerns are:

• Sample collection: results depend on how well individuals collect the sample.
• Sample stability: accuracy decreases if samples are delayed (e.g., more than 7 days before analysis).

Other countries such as Sweden, the Netherlands, and Australia already use HPV self- sampling in their national programmes. France, Denmark, and Finland use it for women considered under-screened. In England, the NHS is running pilot studies with two tests (APTIMA and COBAS), using brushes, swabs, and multi-test devices.

So far, results from self-collected samples are broadly consistent with clinician-collected ones, provided the samples are processed quickly.

The Future of Self-Testing

If NHS pilots continue to show good outcomes, HPV self-sampling may become part of the cervical screening programme within the next few years. However, even then, it’s unlikely women will be allowed to test more frequently than the current 12-month interval.

HPV self-testing - the bottom line

If you want to check earlier, you can order an HPV self-test kit privately, but make sure you:

• Review the accuracy data of the test and laboratory service.
• Follow the sampling instructions carefully.
• Send your sample to the lab as quickly as possible.

For now, the NHS views self-testing as “for information only.” For a definitive result, you would need a clinician-administered test, either privately or via the NHS screening programme.