NHS Offers 4 Million Women Free Home HPV Tests as Cervical Screening Lags at 68.8%
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Aug 25
NHS Offers 4 Million Women Free Home HPV Tests as Cervical Screening Lags at 68.8%
3 articles · Updated · The Independent · Aug 25
Summary
Nearly 4 million women in England who missed cervical screening appointments will be invited to order free NHS home self-test kits, targeting those aged 30 to 65.
The kit uses a vaginal swab taken at home and mailed free to NHS laboratories, where samples will be checked for high-risk HPV linked to nearly all cervical cancers.
Only 68.8% of eligible women are up to date with screening, well below the NHS target of 80%, prompting the push to reach women who avoid clinic appointments.
London trials suggested self-testing could lift uptake by about 400,000 a year, supporting the NHS goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040.