HPV Test Kit

You can use the HPV test if you’ve had unprotected sex and think you might be infected. If you cannot make an appointment with your doctor or would prefer to do the test at home, you can request a test kit from ZAVA.

You should not use the HPV test if you are pregnant. Speak to your doctor or midwife if you’re concerned about HPV while being pregnant.

This HPV test can detect certain high risk strains of the HPV virus. There are over 100 types of HPV which can cause a range of different conditions, like genital warts. You may be infected but never have any symptoms.

Some strains of HPV can damage the cells in your cervix. Having high risk types of HPV can increase your risk of cervical cancer.

Our HPV test detects strains 16 and 18 individually, as well as a panel test for high risk strains 26, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 53, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68, 69, 73 and 82. You should note that not all of these strains may be tested by the NHS screening service.

If you’re sexually active, it’s likely that you’ll get infected with HPV at some point in your life. You can get HPV the first time you are sexually active. Your body will naturally clear the HPV infection within around 2 years.

If you test positive for HPV, your doctor may want you to do some follow up tests. This might include a colposcopy, a procedure that looks at the cells in your cervix. They may recommend removing the abnormal cells if any are found.

You can take the HPV test at any time of the day.

Our kits come with all the materials you need for the test as well as an instruction leaflet. The test is pain-free and should not feel uncomfortable as the swab will not go deep enough to touch your cervix like the smear test does. You do not need equipment, like a speculum that is used in smear tests.

You do not have to worry about making any mistakes as the test is straightforward and simple.

Make sure to wash your hands before and after using the test with warm, soapy water.

• sit in a comfortable position to do the test, either standing up with one leg on a chair or sitting on the toilet with your legs apart
• twist the cap from the sample tube and remove the swab

Remember to keep the tube to put your sample back in later.

• hold the swab on the coloured line around halfway down the stick
• fold back the skin that covers your vagina
• gently insert the swab into your vagina and do not go any further than the coloured mark on the stick
• rotate the swab gently for about 20 seconds
• gently remove the swab and place it inside the sample tube, making sure the lid is secure

You can then fill out your details on the label provided and attach it to the tube. Place the tube inside the protective packaging and prepaid envelope. You can post your sample from any local post box.

You’ll receive your results in your confidential ZAVA account around 3 working days after your sample has arrived at the lab.

You’ll normally be offered to take the HPV test as part of the national programme for cervical screening. This is for women aged between 25 and 64 and happens every 3 to 5 years.

You can also request a test kit from ZAVA. You may want to use a home test kit for various reasons, such as if you cannot get to a doctor’s practice or if you feel embarrassed. While there’s no need to feel ashamed of having a HPV test, doing so in the comfort of your own home might make it easier.

You can take this test at any time of the day.

If you’ve tested positive, this means you have a high risk strain of HPV. You’ll need to speak to your doctor to arrange further testing to check for any abnormalities in your cervix.

Testing positive for HPV does not mean you have cancer. It does mean that you’re at a higher risk of developing certain types of cancers, like cervical cancer or vaginal cancer. This is because the HPV virus can cause abnormalities in your cervical cells, which can lead to cancer.

If you test negative, it means you are not carrying a high risk strain of HPV. If you have genital warts, you might be carrying a different type of HPV, but the test will not detect this.

You should still practise safe, protected sex if you test negative. You may also want to get the HPV vaccine if you have not had it to protect yourself against getting HPV in the future.

Our HPV test is 99% accurate in detecting high risk strains of HPV. All our tests are processed in a UK based accredited laboratory. These are the same labs that the NHS and other clinical services use.

If you’ve tested positive, you’ll need to do a follow up test after a few months to check if you still have the HPV virus.