So, you’ve been for a routine NHS smear test and got the ol’, HPV-positive test result, eh? Don’t worry, loads of us have been there. And although it’s not nice, I can promise you that it’s not the end of the world, either. One thing that the NHS can’t offer you along with your results (usually,) is more information about the virus you’ve tested positive for. It bugged me so much that I ended up buying private HPV tests to find out for myself, and now, I’m going to share everything I’ve learned with you – tips, prices, types of HPV tested for, and much, much more besides.
I’ll hold your hand through this. Are you ready? Let’s go.
- Private HPV Tests UK: Why Bother?
- 1: Multiple Strains = Potential Immune System Issue
- 2: Freak Out Factor
- 3: Under 25s and Over 65s
- 4: Not Knowing is Bad!
- 5: More Options
- 6: Your Peace of Mind
- Private HPV Tests UK: The List
- All Checked Up Cervical Cancer Screening (HPV Test)
- ALLTEST HPV Professional Rapid Test Kit
- Asda HPV Test
- Better2Know High-Risk HPV Home Test Kit
- Better2Know Low Risk HPV & Genital Warts Home Test Kit
- Daye HPV Screen
- GetTested At-Home HPV Test
- Home2Lab HPVZ Test
- Medicines Online Full STD Profile 8-in-1 Home Kit
- Superdrug HPV Test for Women
- The STI Clinic HPV Tests
- Private HPV Tests UK: The Table
- Clinic Testing
- Top Tips to Find the Right Private HPV Test
- 1: Is This Your First Test?
- 2: Are You Keeping An Eye On a Specific Strain?
- 3: Look For Payment Options
- 4: Go For Gold
- 5: Itemised is Best
- 6: If In Doubt, Ask
- Private HPV Tests: FAQ
- What’s the Difference Between Private Home HPV Tests and Private Clinic HPV Tests?
- Should I Get tested For HPV If I’ve Had the HPV Vaccination?
- What Should I Do If My Private HPV Test Comes Back Positive?
- Are Private HPV Tests in the UK Accurate?
- What’s the Difference Between a Private HPV Test and a Private Smear Test?
Private HPV Tests UK: Why Bother?
So, here’s the thing: NHS smear tests will not tell you which strains of HPV you have tested positive for. Chances are your doctor won’t even have that on their magical doctor computer screen. But you could have more than one strain at the same time, without realising it. Multiple strains are becoming increasingly common. I’ve seen accounts of people testing positive with three, four, five, six, and even seven or more different strains of HPV at the same time.
You won’t which or how many strains you have unless you pay for a private HPV test in the UK… and those private tests can open up a whole new world of medical tests if you’re anything like me. (Hello, weakened immune system that I didn’t know I had.)
The benefits of getting private HPV tests far outweigh the costs, in my very humble opinion. They include:
1: Multiple Strains = Potential Immune System Issue
I discovered immune system weaknesses as a result of paying for private HPV tests. My NHS smear test just said that I was “high-risk HPV positive,” but my private test told me that I had more than one strain, including one high-risk. In turn, this led to a doctor’s appointment, further blood tests, and a referral to a specialist to investigate why my immune system hadn’t cleared the viruses despite me not having sexual contact for years.
I would never have known any of those things without getting a private test. You could say, that private test, costing £85, might’ve saved my life.
2: Freak Out Factor
Knowing which strain(s) that you’ve tested positive for, allows you to work out how much you’re allowed to freak out… and we all freak out a bit, no matter how hard we try not to.
HPV-16 or 18 (potentially cancer-causing,) is a slightly more urgent problem than a strain like HPV-6, which causes genital warts, for example. There’s no point in stressing out a whole bunch over a strain that probably isn’t going to cause cancer, is there?
3: Under 25s and Over 65s
Private HPV tests help those that don’t fall into the NHS-approved age group for smear tests of 25 to 64 years old. You can still contract HPV and develop cervical cancer before and after the NHS age range, which is why I’d always recommend still keeping an eye on things using private HPV tests. The good news is that most women know about their HPV situation before they get to the age of 64/5 if they attend routine cervical screening.
4: Not Knowing is Bad!
Not knowing the strains and how many HPV types you have means that you can’t effectively keep an eye on your own sexual or overall health. You could test positive for a persistent HPV infection, two smear tests in a row, but assume that it was two different infections rather than the same one – or vice versa. Persistent infections are a more serious affair than in-out HPV ones that your immune system clears in less than two years.
Without regular itemising testing – testing that tells you which HPV strains, specifically, you’ve tested positive for – you are in the dark about your own health. Now, I don’t know about you, but that just doesn’t sit well with me.
5: More Options
NHS smear tests can be unpleasant, but that doesn’t mean, you shouldn’t go to your appointments. I do recommend that you do that, but if you’re scared of doing a private test because of the swab factor, there are other options available in the private market.
Daye, for example, offers a tampon collection swab approach rather than the scraping swab that normally comes with these tests. You might find that more comfortable and less fiddly.
Some of the tests, such as GetTested, can tell you whether or not you have one of the highest-risk strains of HPV in around 15 minutes, which is considerably quicker than the two or three weeks that a smear result letter can take… especially when you’re relying on Royal Mail these days.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: these private HPV tests are not to replace your regular smear tests; they are to accompany it. They’re a deeper dive into your HPV infection, and often a quicker one, too.
6: Your Peace of Mind
It made me really uncomfortable to know that I had a virus that may or may not give me cancer, that I may or may not have had for a long period of time, that doctors couldn’t tell me anything about other than “you’ve got a high-risk virus.”
Honestly? It’s just not good enough, but that’s the way it is.
Not knowing stuff drives me crazy, especially when it’s my own body – and to be more precise, my own damn vagina/cervix/sexual and reproductive organs. I was on Reddit, searching for more information, after my doctor told me explicitly that she didn’t know anything more than what was noted in the NHS app. That’s how I came across All Checked Up in the first place.
Knowing what’s going on with your body gives you greater peace of mind than having to guess, which is exactly what you’re doing otherwise.
And those reasons are just the tip of the iceberg.
For now, though, let’s get to the heart of the matter: the actual private HPV tests UK.
Private HPV Tests UK: The List
If you can’t be bothered to read through the whole list of private HPV tests to find the right one for you and your circumstances, I gotchu. Here’s a little summary based on my research:
Best value for money: Superdrug
Cheapest: ALLTEST (HPV-16 + 18 only)
Quickest: Medicines Online
Most HPV types tested: The STI Clinic (28)
Itemised HPV strains: All Checked Up + Medicines Online
Swab alternative: Daye (tampon test instead of a swab)
Quickie test (HPV-16 + 18 only): GetTested (via Amazon)
Full STD Profile: Medicines Online (10-in-1, 21 HPV types)
Results to GP: All Checked Up
For penises: Better2Know (Low risk)
For genital warts: Better2Know
Personal recommendation: All Checked Up
All Checked Up Cervical Cancer Screening (HPV Test)
HPV types: 19
Price: £85
Results: 3-4 days
Itemised: Yes.
I have personally used All Checked Up for my own private HPV test (at home,) finding it to be quick, reliable, and super simple to use. The kit costs £85 (which you can pay for with Klarna, Clearpay, etc.) and it’s delivered the next day as long as you order before 4pm on weekdays and 11am on Saturdays. You can opt for guaranteed next day and collection from post office deliveries, too.
All Checked up looks for 19 different types of high-risk and low-risk HPV.
These are:
- 16
- 18
- 26
- 31
- 33
- 35
- 39
- 45
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 56
- 58
- 59
- 66
- 68
- 69
- 73
- 82
All checked Up test results are super specific: you are told how many strains of HPV you tested positive for (if any,) as well as the specific strains, all in an easy-to-read table.
The company itself is a “genuine family-run UK registered Pharmacy” and tests are checked in a UKAS accredited laboratory. Results are sent to your email (via a link + privacy options, obviously,) in around 3-4 days. My email took around 3 days to drop from the time All Checked Up confirmed that they had received my test sample in the mail.
Alongside the email to me, the lab also sent my test results to the doctor for free, eliminating the need for me to deal with my GP’s receptionist, who I’m sure is lovely out of work hours, but is an absolute demon from 9 to 5.
You can read more about my experience right here: All Checked Up HPV Test Review.
ALLTEST HPV Professional Rapid Test Kit
HPV types: 2
Price: £7.99
Results: 15 mins
Itemised: No.
This private HPV test available in the UK only tests for two specific high-risk types of HPV using a vaginal swab: types 16 and 18. As these are responsible for the majority of all cervical cancers cases in the UK (and most anogenital and oral cancers globally,) it makes sense to have a quick test to ensure that you’re not secretly harbouring a potentially deadly virus.
Again: NHS smear tests will not tell you which strain or strains that you have tested positive for; the letter will just say, “you have tested positive for high-risk HPV.” This could mean any one of twelve or more known high-risk types. This £7.99 test, which works in much the same way as a covid or test (but with a vaginal swab instead of a nasal one,) will give you results after 15 minutes. If the test is positive, you will know, one way or the other, if you have one of the most cancer-causing strains of human papillomavirus (HPV.)
It must be said that these are designed for professional and not personal use, but you can buy and use them all the same. Unless you inform your GP of the results, they will not know about them. There’s also a chance that your GP might not accept the results of an at-home test like this one. If in doubt, ask your GP receptionist if they can recommend a service/company.
This HPV test will tell you if you are positive or negative for just HPV-16 and HPV-18. It is said to have 95.6% sensitivity and 98.7% specificity, and I should remind you that none of the private HPV tests on this list are designed to replace regular cervical screening; they’re to work alongside them.
Asda HPV Test
HPV types: 14
Price: from £60
Results: within 7 working days
Itemised: No (16+18 or ‘others’)
Asda doesn’t list the HPV types that this test looks for on their website, but the test is by The Doctors Laboratory, which lists the following as their 14 high-risk strains:
- 16
- 18
- 31
- 33
- 35
- 39
- 45
- 51
- 52
- 56
- 58
- 59
- 66
- 68
The test results will say specifically if you are positive for HPV-16 and/or 18, but if you test positive for the others on the list above, your results will likely say something like, “positive for high-risk other.” Only types 16 and 18 are itemised with this test; so, you’ll be guessing which of the other twelve strains you actually have.
As per the Asda website (and research,) the chance of a false negative with this private HPV test is less than 2%.
You will need to fill in a questionnaire that takes around 3-5 minutes, then a doctor will check over all of your details and make sure things are as they should be. You can have the test delivered to your home/work, or you can choose to pick it up from your local Asda store.
Better2Know High-Risk HPV Home Test Kit
HPV types: 19
Price: £99
Results: 3 days
Itemised: Yes
I am conflicted about listing Better2Know on my nice, neat little blog post twice and messing it all up, but they offer a high-risk and low-risk HPV test separately. I think it’s important to point that out, just in case you’re looking for one or the other specifically.
Moving on, the high-risk HPV test looks for 14 different high-risk strains of HPV on the website, but their email response stated these 19 high-risk types:
- 16
- 18
- 26
- 31
- 33
- 35
- 39
- 45
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 56
- 58
- 59
- 66
- 68
- 69
- 73
- 82
This private HPV test is a vaginal swab only, and you send it back in an already prepared box or envelope, as is the case for most of the at-home private HPV tests on this list, with results within five working days.
The at-home test is £99, or you can visit a clinic for a low-risk and high-risk HPV swab test for £185. There are clinics up and down the country, and there’s an easy map to work out where your closest one is. You simply book the appointment online (paying when you do) and turn up on the day. Anogenital swabs will be done, then you will be sent a link to a secure online area to see your results.
Test turnaround time is three days, and for an additional £25, you can get a signed medical certificate with your results to present to your own GP. The original test fee comes with a consultation with a medical professional when you get your results, during which they will discuss potential treatment plans if you happen to test positive.
One final note: you can actually get a private smear test and HPV screening in a clinic with Better2Know for £250.
Better2Know Low Risk HPV & Genital Warts Home Test Kit
HPV types: 9 low-risk types
Price: £99
Results: within 5 working days
Itemised: Yes
Better2Know doesn’t specifically list the HPV strains they test for in this low-risk home HPV test, aside from saying that HPV-6 and HPV-11 are included. It tests for a few other low-risk types aside from that. I am marginally annoyed by the fact that they don’t list them, but I’m assuming this is because the common strains that aren’t 6 and 11 change frequently? Either way, I’ve emailed them about it and will report back as soon as I know more.
They emailed back (within 24 hours on a Saturday, I must add!) and confirmed the following nine low-risk HPV types are checked in this test:
- 6
- 11
- 40
- 42
- 43
- 44
- 54
- 61
- 70
To use this test, you must swab a wart or lesion or the genital or anal area. The swab is specifically for warts and lesions; it is not a vaginal swab like most of the rest on this list of private HPV tests UK.
You can this test on warts and lesions on:
- Vagina
- Penis
- Anus
- All surrounding anogenital areas
This test is £99, will be sent to you for (usually) next day delivery if you order the test before 4pm, and you’ll get results within five working days. If you do test positive for a low-risk form of HPV, such as types 6 and 11, Better2Know will arrange for an appointment with a doctor to get the appropriate medication or treatment, which you will need to pay for (on top of the test itself.) If you don’t want to pay, you can take the results to your own GP for a treatment plan instead. We love options, right?
For an additional £100, you can check those warts and lesions for herpes simples I and II, syphilis, and HPV at the same time. The website doesn’t state which strains of HPV this test looks for, but I’m going to assume that it’s the same strains as the low-risk test above, since it’s looking at skin blemishes.
Daye HPV Screen
HPV types: 14
Price: from £89
Results: 5 to 10 days
Itemised: No (16+18 or ‘others’)
Daye takes a slightly different approach to HPV testing, using a tampon-based test rather than the scraping swab device that we’re all probably more accustomed to.
The website states this:
“The tampon offers a non-invasive, familiar method of obtaining a testing sample that makes the screening experience at home more comfortable and accessible. Further, tampons collect a comprehensive sample from the entirety of the vaginal canal, allowing for greater accuracy compared to traditional methods like swabs.”
Daye’s HPV test checks for 14 high-risk strains:
- 16
- 18
- 31
- 33
- 35
- 39
- 45
- 51
- 52
- 56
- 58
- 59
- 66
- 68
The company offers various add-ons, including adding a Microbiome Screen to your HPV test for £159 (down from £188,) which checks levels for things like lactobacilli, candida, BV-related bacteria, and more.
You can also add on a consultation with an expert nurse for “peace of mind, personalised support, and virtual care,” costing £29.99 for 20 minutes.
The test gets delivered to your door in a nice, discreet little package. You use the tampon-style swab to collect the material, then send it away to the laboratory in the self-addressed box that’s included. You do not need to pay to send the test back; just pop everything in the special box, seal it up, and whack it in the nearest postbox.
Once you send the test away, you can expect results within 5 to 10 days, with most people getting it closer to the 5-day mark.
Daye offers various other tests and products, all as sustainably as possible, including hormone level tests, organic tampons and period pads, full gynaecological consultation and care packages, and much more. You can also purchase Daye testing from Boots (and the reviews there are really positive!)
Research into the Daye HPV test specifically has shown:
“82.9% sensitivity, 91.6% specificity, and an 89.0% overall accuracy compared to traditional clinician-collected swabs.”
What do these statistics mean in simple English? 82.9% sensitivity means that the test could miss one or more HPV strains in 17 out of every 100 people, which feels like a lot but, unfortunately, this is fairly standard for women’s health stuff. Vaginal self-swabs for things like chlamydia have a pooled sensitivity of around 85%, and some self-collected smear tests hover around 69%-70% sensitivity.
91.6% specificity for the Daye HPV Screen means that around 8 people in every 100 could get a false positive: being told that they have a strain of HPV that they actually don’t have.
89.0% overall accuracy means that the test gets the positives and negatives correct in 89 cases out of every 100. 11 tests in 100 could be wrong – false positive or negative.
GetTested At-Home HPV Test
HPV types: 2
Price: £34.99
Results: 15 minutes
Itemised: No
Similar to the ALLTEST professional test listed above, the GetTested At-Home HPV Test is a professional test that regular folks have started buying – so much so that you can now buy the tests on Amazon. They’re rated 4.5 stars out of 5 (in case you were wondering,) and people usually keep the item, according to Amazon.
Only testing for two high-risk types of HPV: 16 and 18, you can get the results in 15 minutes, using a vaginal swab and droplet test, similar to covid tests.
The downside with tests like these, which only test for two types of HPV, is that you won’t find out if you have any of the other twelve or more high-risk types. It is marginally better than NHS smear test results, but only if you don’t have any of the strains… and especially for that price, when compared to other tests that check for several more HPV strains.
GetTested offer several different tests for general health, female and/or male health, sexual health, and much more. The company has pretty good reviews everywhere I’ve looked, too.
Home2Lab HPVZ Test
HPV types: 19
Price: £145
Results: 3 days from laboratory receipt
Itemised: Yes
Every Home2Lab HPV test is reviewed by a doctor, and every abnormal result gets a “personal comment,” according to the website. The company will not send the results to your doctor, though. You will need to share your own results with medial professionals.
This private HPV test looks for 19 types of high-risk HPV:
- 16
- 18
- 26
- 31
- 33
- 35
- 39
- 45
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 56
- 58
- 59
- 66
- 68
- 69
- 73
- 82
Each strain is itemised, so you will literally get results that say: “HPV-XX: yes/no” for every strain tested. That’s a good thing, because you can keep check of all strains… and the state of your immune system. I get NHS cervical screening done every 12 months (because there’s always something bloody wrong,) and I also get a private HPV test done, usually right afterwards. £50-£150 for the test every year might seem like a lot of money, but as I’ve previously mentioned, it could unlock a wealth of information that you can use to boost your immune system and finally get rid of the human papillomavirus for good.
Medicines Online Full STD Profile 8-in-1 Home Kit
HPV types: 18/21
Price: £109
Results: from 1 working day
Itemised: Optional
Medicines Online actually has a few different private HPV tests options for UK folks, including an 8-in-1 home kit that looks for 21 types of HPV alongside mycoplasma, herpes simplex I and II, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, Ureaplasma and trichomoniasis – all for £109, with results expected from one working day… which is pretty damn speedy.
The 21/18 types that this 8-in-1 kit looks for are (slightly different in each type package):
- 6
- 11
- 16
- 18
- 26
- 31
- 33
- 35
- 39
- 45
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 56
- 58
- 59
- 66
- 68
- 73
- 81
- 82
This particular kit gives you an itemised list, so to speak, of all HPV strains that you have tested positive, much like All Checked Up.
You could opt for a slightly cheaper package from this company; the same 8-in-1 test can be purchased with an 18-type HPV test that is not itemised. You will just know if you have tested positive for one of those 18 types. The cheaper package is £79, but I would always go for the itemised list, personally. It seems pointless (to me) to pay for a private HPV test and not learn which strains, specifically, you’ve tested positive for. But that’s just me, you know.
There is a more extensive package on offer, too: the 10-in-1 home kit tests for all of the above, with the 21-type HPV test, plus syphilis and HIV for £150-£180. The results of this more extensive test can take between 1 and 3 days.
And finally, there is a singular HPV test, offering both 18 variants (with no itemised listing) and 21 variants (with itemised listing) for £29.99 and £50 respectively. These are batch processed, so results can be expected from 1 to 7 days.
Superdrug HPV Test for Women
HPV types: 19
Price: £55
Results: within 7 working days
Itemised: No (16+18 or ‘others’)
Just like All Checked Up, Superdrug checks for the 19 high-risk strains that women in the UK (and around the globe) commonly test positive for. As discussed in other articles about HPV here on my little dating and sex blog, it is the high-risk strains that are more likely to cause cancer. Low-risk strains can cause genital warts, or sometimes, no symptoms or afflictions at all.
Persistent high-risk HPV infections are the problematic ones, which is why I think tracking HPV infections is so important. How will you ever know if you’re suffering from a long-term, persistent high-risk infection if you didn’t know you had it in the first place? Knowing the strains that are in your body, keeping tabs on them yourself, knowing when they’re coming and going, is the best way to protect yourself. Unfortunately, that’s just not something that the NHS has the time or money to offer.
The 19 high-risk HPV strains that Superdrug checks for are:
- 16
- 18
- 26
- 31
- 33
- 35
- 39
- 45
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 56
- 58
- 59
- 66
- 68
- 69
- 73
- 82
Unlike All Checked Up, Superdrug does not send a letter to your GP. The website states this:
“A positive HPV test result means you are currently infected with HPV and may require treatment… you will need to make a follow-up appointment with your GP, who may need to carry out further tests to confirm a diagnosis.”
The STI Clinic HPV Tests
HPV types: 14/19/28
Price: from £89.95
Results: 3 days
Itemised: optional
The STI Clinic offers three types of at-home HPV test, and they are as follows:
1: HPV High Risk General, £89.95
This test looks for high-risk HPV types, but it’s not clear which ones, specifically. Results will tell you if you test positive for either HPV-16 or 18, but you will get a positive result saying, “high-risk others” for the other “12 types.”
2: HPV High Risk Specific, £129.95
This one looks for 19 strains of HPV, all listed:
- 16
- 18
- 26
- 31
- 33
- 35
- 39
- 45
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 56
- 58
- 59
- 66
- 68
- 69
- 73
- 82
The results are itemised and specific: you will get a list of the strains, plus a positive or negative result for each one.
3: HPV High/Low Risk, £139.95
The STI Clinic offers everything that’s in the HPV High Risk Specific test, but with low-risk types included, in this High/Low Risk HPV test. They’re listed as:
- 6
- 11
- 40
- 42
- 43
- 44
- 54
- 61
- 70
If you order your test online before 3pm on a weekday or 11am on Saturdays, they’ll send it out the same day for next day delivery, but there are three different delivery options to choose from.
Results take 3 days, and this is usually done securely online. You can request formal lab reports, however. They will not send the test results to your doctor. That will be your responsibility. If you do not have a doctor, they will give you a referral for one.
If you test positive for one of the low-risk types that have already caused genital warts, The STI Clinic has a partner clinic (The Online Clinic) from which you can buy appropriate treatment.
Private HPV Tests UK: The Table
Clinic Testing
There are several clinics up and down the country that allow you to make appointments and book private HPV tests. Clarewell Clinics, for example, has locations in Birmingham and London, and offers female and male genitalia testing, rectum testing, and throat testing, for a range of low-risk and high-risk strains, including:
- 16
- 18
- 26
- 31
- 33
- 35
- 39
- 45
- 51
- 52
- 53
- 56
- 58
- 59
- 66
- 68
- 69
- 73
- 82
Tests cost between £250 and £350, with results expected within around 2 weeks.
I recommend searching for HPV test clinic (or a combination of those) + your location for local prices and places. You’ll find that they all offer results in different times, with a range of HPV types tested, so just make sure that you read through everything online and in any paperwork.
Top Tips to Find the Right Private HPV Test
If you don’t have a clue where to start, you’re definitely not the only one. This list only exists because I ended up researching for two weeks before I ordered my very own at-home test. There are so many different companies to choose from, each one offering slightly different testing options, so it’s okay if you just don’t know which one to buy. We’re talking about £50-£200+ here, which isn’t small change, is it?
Here are my top tips for finding and buying the right private HPV test:
1: Is This Your First Test?
If this is your very first private HPV test, I recommend getting the most extensive test, checking for the most types of HPV, that you can afford. For me, that was the All Checked Up one for £85. It allowed me to work out which specific types I had after a particularly uninformative, “You’ve tested positive for high-risk HPV,” message after a routine NHS smear test.
After that initial All Checked Up HPV test, I repeated the £85 test every year, around the same time, to check for persistent infections that lasted longer than 24 months. I then used that information to get further blood tests, get treatment, take vitamins, and look after myself, all to boost my immune system and allow it to fight off all strains in the end.
You could do the same.
Just saying.
2: Are You Keeping An Eye On a Specific Strain?
If you know that you have tested positive for one specific strain before, such as HPV-73, you might want to keep an eye on that strain specifically. This means looking for a test that includes HPV-73. You can use my handy little table above to find exactly the right test for the strain that you’re looking for.
Again, if a HPV type is present for longer than two years, it becomes a persistent high-risk HPV infections. Depending on the strain, these are the ones that are most likely to develop into cancer. It’s probably for the best if someone keeps an eye on such things…
3: Look For Payment Options
I did see that Clearpay and Klarna were available for my All Checked Up HPV test, and that appears to be the case for many of the tests on this private HPV tests UK list. If you can afford to get a more expensive test that checks for more strains of HPV while paying over three, four, five payments (or whatever,) I highly recommend that you do it. Alternatively, there’s always the credit card. I wholeheartedly believe that this is a credit card-worthy purchase.
Just don’t get yourself into debt. I don’t wish to be responsible for that. K, thnx.
4: Go For Gold
The gold standard in HPV testing in the UK is PCR testing, or Polymerase Chain Reaction testing. Look for this type, sent to UK laboratories, for best and reliable results.
5: Itemised is Best
It’s all good and well knowing that you have HPV, but without knowing the exact strain, you don’t know which level of freakout to turn on. Knowing exactly which strain or strains that you have tested positive for ensures that you know which ones are persistent, high-risk, and aggressive or normal high-risk.
6: If In Doubt, Ask
Every company I’ve listed today has email addresses, online chats, and phone numbers. Use these to ask questions before parting with your hard-earned cash. It’s better to wait a day or so for an email response than drop £100-ish on a test that’s not quite right for what you want and need.
Private HPV Tests: FAQ
You might still have questions about private HPV tests UK. Here are the most commonly asked ones along with their answers, but please feel free to contact me here, or anonymously here, if you have further questions!
What’s the Difference Between Private Home HPV Tests and Private Clinic HPV Tests?
Both are available, but home HPV tests are usually a bit cheaper than their in-clinic counterparts. With an at-home test, the kit is sent to you in the post, then you perform the vaginal swab at home, before sending it to a laboratory in a package or box that already has the address and postage sorted.
Private clinic HPV tests, on the other hand, require you to physically go to the clinic location, then go through the same procedure as a regular NHS smear: on your back, knees bent, feet together, legs open as wide as possible.
At-home tests offer much more privacy and no need to get your poonananana out in front of a stranger (but a positive HPV result might require you to do that afterwards, anyway.)
Clinic tests are much the same as smear tests, just more precise, often with much more information, and usually quicker than what the NHS can offer you.
Should I Get tested For HPV If I’ve Had the HPV Vaccination?
Yes, and here’s why: there are 40+ different strains of sexually transmitted HPV, and 14/15 of them are classed as high-risk… as in knowingly causing cancer in certain circumstances. The Gardasil 9 HPV vaccination, as the name suggests, protects you from nine different types of high-risk HPV. That’s not all of them.
You could still get a variant of HPV not covered by the HPV vaccination.
You could also be infected with a high-risk strain of HPV before getting the vaccination, even if you have had a negative smear test in the past and/or recently.
The vaccination is close to perfect. This means that is has close to a 100% success rate in preventing vaccinated people contracting one of the nine strains of HPV included. Close to is not the same as exactly 100%, though. There is always a medical marvel somewhere, right?
You should still get NHS smear tests, and private HPV tests if you have the means, even if you’ve been vaccinated against HPV.
What Should I Do If My Private HPV Test Comes Back Positive?
First of all, don’t panic. There’s no need. Not yet. You have plenty of time to panic, so don’t get that started too soon. Trust me. I learned that lesson that hard way and it has taken me 10+ years to stop having an anxiety attack whenever I see that oh-so-familiar envelope drop through the letterbox.
If you’ve tested positive for a low-risk strain of HPV with genital warts, treatment is available. You will need to discuss this with either the company you used, your local GP, or a local sexual health clinic – whatever is easiest or available to you.
If you’ve tested positive for a high-risk strain of HPV, you must ensure that your GP knows. It is vital that your test results are on record somewhere. You will more than likely need more frequent routine smear tests, and you might even need a procedure to remove cells that the HPV has started to change from regular to precancerous. These things can only happen once you’ve discussed your test results with your doctor, though.
So, in short: take the test results to the doctor, make sure of any consultations that the company might offer, and breathe a sigh of relief. You will now be regularly monitored, so the chance of you ever getting cervical cancer is actually smaller now than it was before you ever thought about private HPV tests.
Are Private HPV Tests in the UK Accurate?
Yes: UK-regulated private HPV self-sampling kits use CE-marked or UKCA-marked swabs analysed by UKAS-accredited laboratories. Studies show self-swabbing detects high-risk HPV strains with high accuracy, comparable to clinician-collected samples for primary HPV screening.
What’s the Difference Between a Private HPV Test and a Private Smear Test?
A private HPV test checks your sample for the presence of DNA associated with human papillomavirus – low or high-risk, depending on which test you buy. The majority specifically test for high-risk HPV strains, because they are the strains that can cause cancer to develop.
A private smear test checks cells that have been collected (scraped) from the cervix for cell changes that could indicate the pathway to cancer: CIN1, CIN2, CIN3, then cervical cancer. Usually, NHS smear tests look for the presence of high-risk strains, then perform further checks on the cell samples. If there are no high-risk strains present, the cell changes are not [usually] checked for potentially precancerous cell changes.
Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out my blog today! 🖤
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