Nearly four million women in England who have missed cervical screening can now order home-testing kits designed to check for high-risk HPV.
The kits are being made available to women who have not attended cervical screening, offering a way to carry out a self-test at home. The initiative applies in England and is focused on identifying high-risk HPV.
The availability of self-testing kits marks a significant development for women who have missed screening appointments, as it gives eligible women another route to take part in testing without attending a screening appointment in person.
Cervical screening is the programme referenced in the announcement, and the new home-testing option is specifically aimed at those who have not taken part as expected. The source material does not provide further details on ordering routes, eligibility criteria beyond missed screening, or how results will be managed.
The latest position is that the home-testing kits are now available for women in England who have missed cervical screening and can be ordered to check for high-risk HPV.