NHS England opens home HPV testing to millions overdue for cervical screening
Women aged 30 to 65 in England who have missed cervical screening can order free home HPV testing kits as the NHS seeks to improve participation.
In short
- Women aged 30 to 65 in England who have missed cervical screening can order free home HPV testing kits as the NHS seeks to improve participation.
NHS England is offering free home human papillomavirus testing kits to millions of women who are overdue for cervical screening, expanding access to a self-sampling option from Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
Eligible women aged 30 to 65 who have not attended screening appointments will receive invitations through the NHS app, text message, email or letter. They can order a kit through the app or an NHS website, collect a vaginal sample at home and return it by post without charge.
Laboratories will test the samples for high-risk forms of HPV, which cause nearly all cervical cancers. Anyone whose sample contains high-risk HPV will be asked to attend an in-person cervical screening appointment with a clinician.
NHS figures show 68.8 percent of eligible women are up to date with cervical screening, below the service’s 80 percent target. The NHS estimates that about four million women are overdue. Officials say embarrassment, time constraints and concerns about discomfort are among the barriers that can prevent attendance.
Women aged 24 to 64 are normally invited for cervical screening every five years, with more frequent follow-up when HPV is detected. The home-testing programme forms part of the NHS goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040. Health officials stressed that screening can prevent cancer or identify it earlier, when treatment is more likely to succeed.
