A new relationship. A partner who mentions a past infection. Or simply the sense that it has been a while since the last check. Sexual health testing is a routine part of looking after yourself, and it is often done when nothing feels wrong at all. That is the point: many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) do not cause symptoms. This guide explains what the female sexual health tests in the BPR catalogue check, and how HPV testing fits alongside NHS cervical screening.
Why testing without symptoms matters
The NHS notes that many STIs have no symptoms, so you can have one without knowing, and that the only way to know for sure is to get tested (NHS, STIs). A 2022 review in JAMA reports that a large share of infections with herpes and trichomoniasis, and many chlamydia and gonorrhoea infections outside the genitals, cause few or no symptoms (Tuddenham et al., 2022). The same review notes that STIs are the leading cause of tubal factor infertility in women.
LML adds that it is estimated 1 in 10 sexually active young people have a chlamydia infection, and that most women do not have symptoms from the infections tested.
What the Female Sexual Health Advanced Screen checks
The Female Sexual Health - Advanced Screen combines a blood sample with a self-taken swab (or a first-catch urine sample) to look for the six most common STIs:
- Chlamydia and gonorrhoea, by PCR on the swab or urine;
- HIV 1 and 2, by antibody and p24 antigen in the blood;
- Hepatitis B (surface antigen) and hepatitis C (antibody);
- Syphilis, by antibody testing. The JAMA review notes that blood testing remains the recommended method for syphilis (Tuddenham et al., 2022).
Timing after a new partner
The NHS says STIs can take up to 7 weeks after unprotected sex to show up on a test, and that without symptoms it is best to wait 7 weeks before testing (NHS, STIs). If you have symptoms, or a partner does, do not wait: the NHS advises going to a sexual health clinic.
HPV and cervical screening
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is very common and usually clears on its own. Persistent infection with certain high-risk types is behind almost all cervical cancers, according to a 2023 JAMA review, which also describes HPV testing as about 90% sensitive for detecting cervical precancer (Perkins et al., 2023).
In England, the NHS invites women aged 25 to 64 for cervical screening every 5 years, and everyone with a cervix should be offered it (NHS, Cervical screening). NHS screening looks for high-risk HPV first. If you are in that age group, keeping up with your NHS invitation is the main route.
The HPV test in the BPR catalogue
The HPV (HR mRNA types 16, 18 + others) test looks for messenger RNA from high-risk HPV types, including 16 and 18. A 2022 systematic review found that a widely used HPV mRNA test was about as sensitive as standard HPV DNA tests on samples taken by a clinician, and less sensitive on self-collected samples (Arbyn et al., 2022). LML notes that this test is usually carried out together with a cervical smear and uses a cervical sample in a dedicated liquid vial, with results three days after the sample reaches the laboratory.
Because this is a cervical sample rather than blood or urine, it is not collected in the same way as the other tests here. Talk to us before ordering so we can confirm with LML how the sample would be taken in your case. It does not replace your NHS screening invitation.
