Find out which company’s test kit is most comprehensive
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States—so common that nearly everyone will contract it at least once in their lifetime, likely without even knowing it. There are over 200 individual strains, some of which “are spread through skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity,” says Lindsay Modglin, a Verywell Health subject matter expert with a decade’s experience in nursing. Even though most strains are low-risk and don’t cause any symptoms (beyond genital warts, for some people), when left untreated, HPV can cause serious and long-term health problems, such as cervical cancer. Malaria Nucleic Acid Detection Kit
That’s why the American Cancer Society recommends getting tested for HPV every five years between the ages of 25 and 65. While at-home HPV tests can’t tell you what kind of damage has been caused to your cells by HPV (you’ll need a Pap test for that), they can tell you if you have an active high-risk HPV infection without the stress and cost of testing at your OB-GYN office. So to help you narrow down your choices, we evaluated dozens of at-home tests, with Modglin's help, examining factors like price, laboratory accreditation, insurance acceptance, wait time for results, and customer reviews. We also had this article medically reviewed by a medical doctor. Here are the at-home HVP tests we recommend.
Tests for 14 high-risk HPV genotypes
Not available in New York
Must be 18 to test with Everlywell
Getting affordable results has never been easier thanks to the Everlywell HPV Test—Female, which screens for all 14 high-risk HPV genotypes that can increase the risk of cervical cancer—including the most common cancer culprits, HPV 16 and HPV 18 (the latter of which is tested together with HPV 45).
For $49, you get a vaginal swab packet, prepaid shipping both ways, and physician-reviewed results. Insurance isn’t accepted for Everlywell tests, though you can use your flexible spending account (FSA) or health savings account (HSA) card to pay. Nor is shipping available to New York, due to state regulations. Finally, though Everlywell only sells tests to adults 18 and up, this is less of an issue in this specific case, as most people with a cervix don’t need to take their first HPV test till about age 25.
With standard free shipping, you will receive a vaginal swab packet, a biohazard bag, and a prepaid return shipping label within two to eight business days of placing your order. (If you need it faster, you can opt for express one- to two-day shipping for an additional $30.) Just activate your kit online and collect your sample using the easy instructions, then pack it up and ship it off to a lab that meets the high standards set by the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)—the same certification as labs used by hospitals and clinics.
Every test is reviewed and approved by a board-certified physician before being sent to your secure, HIPAA-compliant app and online portal. Everlywell says the results, which may take five to seven business days, are over 99% accurate at detecting a high-risk HPV infection. If you’ve tested positive, you can have a free consultation with a provider in the Everlywell physician network to discuss your next steps.
Free and expedited shipping available
Results may take up to five business days
Not available in New York
If you have a cervix, are over 30, and don’t live in New York, the myLAB Box At-Home HPV Test Kit is a strong contender for a cost-friendly, easy-to-use test. You know your results are going to be accurate, since myLAB Box only uses CLIA-certified and College of American Pathologist (CAP) accredited labs. An even better sign? myLAB Box is listed by the CDC on its GetTested database as a reliable at-home testing company.
Its At-Home HPV Test Kit checks for the two HPV types most likely to cause cancer: HPV 16 and HPV 18. Like most HPV tests, the third “type” it can identify is the presence of one or more of the other 12 high-risk types—31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68—though it won’t tell you which specific strain(s) of these you have. The test costs $89 (FSA/HSA accepted) with free standard shipping; you can also opt for two-day shipping for $7 or overnight for $45. Insurance is not accepted.
Once your kit’s been delivered, it only takes five minutes to register your test online and collect a vaginal swab sample. Just package it up, pop it in the mail using the prepaid postage, and you’re done!
Once the lab has received your sample, it may take anywhere from two to five business days for your lab-certified results to be available in your secure, HIPAA-compliant online portal. If you have any questions about your results—whether or not you’ve tested positive—the cost of the test kit includes a free phone consultation with a physician where you can ask away.
Easy to use and 99.9% accurate
Expedited and overnight shipping available
Can be taken if you have a vagina or a penis
One of the more expensive tests
Doesn’t include free consultation
Must be 18+ to use an iDNA test
Not available in New York
Urine HPV tests are not yet FDA approved
With a iDNA iBox HPV Test, you’ll be able to test for all 14 high-risk HPV strains using a vaginal swab sample—or a urine sample, if you have a penis. While no HPV tests have been approved yet for people with penises, research indicates that urine samples may be an accurate way to test for HPV. Whichever way you provide a sample, iDNA and its CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited labs claim an accuracy rate of 99.9%.
The iBox HPV Test is $88, and while it’s not available to people in New York, if you’re 18 or older and live in the other 49 states or D.C., you can choose from free standard shipping (three to five business days each way), priority shipping ($17, one to three business days), or overnight shipping ($50). Your iBox HPV Test will arrive in plain, unbranded packaging for ultimate discretion, and the testing process takes no more than five minutes. After you’ve registered your test kit and collected your sample, you’ll ship it to a CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited lab for processing. Results will be delivered quickly via a private and secure online portal that is HIPAA compliant.
For about $88, the test uses a vaginal swab sample (for females) or a urine sample (for males). The results report for both is easy to understand.
Tests all 14 high-risk HPV genotypes
Medical consultation fee not covered by insurance
May receive an additional lab bill or copay
Not available in D.C. or 15 states
The Nurx Home HPV Test Kit is a great option for at-home HPV testing that accepts insurance in a number of states. Check here to see if yours is considered in-network.
The Home HPV Test Kit is not available in D.C. or about 15 states, including New York, Alaska, and Hawaii. But otherwise, with insurance, you can purchase the Home HPV Test Kit for $49, or pay a flat fee of $79 without insurance. The test kit, lab testing, free delivery, and a prepaid return label are all included in the purchase. An additional $15 consultation fee will grant you unlimited access to Nurx’s medical team for one year.
After you collect your sample using a simple vaginal swab, ship your sample to Molecular Testing Labs, a state-of-the-art lab with CAP and CLIA creds that specializes in complex molecular testing. While Nurx states that you may receive an additional bill from its lab partner, it also notes that you can apply for financial aid through Molecular Testing Labs—a nice bonus if you’re testing on a budget.
Nurx will reach out within about seven days of you returning your sample in the mail. Your results include a medical consultation where you can ask questions.
Tests all 14 high-risk HPV genotypes
Can be taken if you have a vagina or a penis
May need to call the company to order test kit
Results may be delayed if you miss the phone call
Not available in New York, New Jersey, or Rhode Island
Must be 18+ to test with Testing.com
The Testing.com HPV High Risk Test Kit, Genital tests for all 14 genotypes of HPV, including types 16 and 18. The test kit is easy to use, with simple instructions that guide you through collecting your sample, and can be taken as either a vaginal swab or a urine sample. Unfortunately, it’s not available in New York, New Jersey, or Rhode Island, and only people 18 or older can order tests through Testing.com.
The HPV High Risk Test Kit is $99 and includes a vaginal swab, a urine sample collection cup, and discreet packaging that you’ll mail off your results in. It’s not eligible for insurance coverage, though you can use your Visa or MasterCard FSA/HSA card to purchase. The site is also a bit confusing, not displaying an “order” button at the time of writing, meaning you may need to place your order over the phone. We were also unable to determine if shipping is free with Testing.com.
Once you’ve received your kit in the mail, usually in three to five business days, just register it and then collect your urine or vaginal swab sample. Mail your results to one of Testing.com’s CLIA-certified labs and, once it’s been received, it’ll be three to four business days before your test results will be available in your HIPAA-compliant patient portal. If you test positive for anything with Testing.com, a client services team member will make a maximum of three attempts to contact you by phone to set up a consultation with a physician (for an additional fee), if necessary.
Tests all 14 high-risk HPV genotypes
Tests for genital, oral, and anal HPV
Can be taken if you have a vagina or a penis
Oral and anal HPV tests not FDA approved
On the subject of Testing.com, its HPV High Risk Test Kit, 3 Site is a great choice if you’re worried about an HPV infection in your genitals, mouth, and/or rectum. As a reminder, only cervical HPV tests have been approved by the FDA so far, but this comprehensive three-site testing kit can identify HPV 16, HPV 18, and the other 12 high-risk strains with a three- to four-business-day turnaround after the lab receives your samples.
This test costs $219, and can be paid for using FSA/HSA cards, but it is not eligible for insurance coverage. At the time of writing, it appeared that ordering the three-site test may require you to call the company just like the genital-only test—and because there was no way to add the test to the cart, we couldn’t determine shipping costs.
The kit includes an anal swab, an oral collection, and either a vaginal swab or a urine collection sample cup (to use if you have a penis). Be sure to follow the directions in order to collect usable samples and then send them back to the CLIA-certified lab for evaluation and results in the same estimated timeframe as Testing.com’s genital-only HPV test kit.
Results guaranteed within a week of shipping samples
Cost includes a video call with a clinician
Unlimited messaging with clinical team
Can provide prescriptions if necessary
Not available in New York
Recurring subscription is less relevant for HPV testing
If you’re looking for a test kit that provides additional support both during and after the process, the TBD Health HPV At-Home Test is here for you (as long as you don’t live in the state of New York). You’ll receive a vaginal swab, a biohazard bag, a prepaid shipping label, and a condom in discreet packaging, for just $79.
Once you ship your sample, you won’t have to wait too long, typically within four business days; TBD Health guarantees your results will be available in under a week or your money back. Your test samples are processed by a CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited lab, so rest assured that you’ll get reliable results. Once you receive your test results, you have access to a video call with a clinician at no extra cost, as well as unlimited messaging.
You can choose to purchase a one-time test kit for $79. You can pay with an FSA or HSA card, and the company can provide a superbill if you’d like to try to get out-of-network coverage through your insurer. Discounted subscription plans are also available, although this feature is less beneficial for an STI like HPV, which you don’t need to test for with much frequency.
As you shop around for an at-home HPV test, there are some factors you’ll want to consider, including:
“Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of viruses that can cause cervical cancer, genital warts, and other cancers,” says Modglin. There are over 200 types of HPV (only some of which are spread by skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal, or oral sex), but the majority are considered low-risk, likely clearing up on their own without causing symptoms other than potentially warts on the genitals, mouth, throat, or anus.
High-risk HPV is a concern for everyone, no matter your gender or sexuality—or the gender/sexuality of your partner(s). Fourteen strains—HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68—are considered high-risk because of how often they lead to:
HPV 16 and HPV 18 in particular are most likely to result in cancerous changes to the cells in the part of the body that is infected.
An infected person may not have any symptoms, making it hard to know your risk during any given sexual encounter.
Nearly everyone who has sex will have an HPV infection in the first few years of being sexually active, even if you only have one sexual partner during that time. For most people, your immune system will fight off the infection before you notice any symptoms, usually within two years. However, sometimes an old HPV infection reactivates after many years of negative test results. It can also, rarely, be transmitted to your baby during a cesarean section or vaginal birth.
An HPV test screens your cervical cells for evidence of a high-risk HPV infection. It’s not the same as a Pap test (or “Pap smear”), which looks for precancerous cell changes and abnormalities—though these tests can also be done at the same time in person at the OB-GYN in a process called cotesting. The results together indicate your current risk of cervical cancer.
All of the at-home HPV tests in this roundup claim 99% accuracy (the iDNA HPV Test goes further and advertises 99.9% accuracy). Still, it’s important to know that an HPV test, whether done in person or at home, can only tell you if you have an infection: It can’t tell you how much or what kind of precancerous cellular damage has occurred. To get that information, you’ll need to get a Pap test done or get cotested.
Another thing to keep in mind is that HPV infections can spread from the external genitals, cervix, anus, and oropharyngeal (mouth/throat) tissue. However, HPV testing is only approved for cervical cells—there’s no test that can confirm an HPV infection at other sites on your body. This also means that no test has been approved for people who do not have a cervix.
HPV is the most common STI in the U.S., with 43 million infections reported in 2018. Considering that at least 31,500 U.S. adults deal with cancers that were caused by HPV every year, it’s not hard to see why regular screening is important. These are the guidelines set by the American Cancer Society in 2020 for people who aren’t considered to be at high-risk for cancer:
However, your doctor may recommend more frequent testing if you’re immunocompromised, have HIV, or have had an abnormal result. Because an HPV infection is nearly inevitable for people who are new to having sex, and the cellular damage that leads to cancer takes multiple years to become detectable in a cancer screening, it’s not necessary for most people to test before age 25.
If you’re a busy cisgender woman, transgender man, or nonbinary person with a cervix, and you’re between the ages of 25 and 65, an at-home HPV test may be more convenient than going into the OB-GYN for testing every five years. Modglin says that at-home HPV tests are also beneficial for people who live in areas where in-person HPV tests aren’t available. They may also be less expensive than a test done in a clinic or OB-GYN’s office.
While you’re likely to contract HPV at least once in your life, you can lower your chance of getting high-risk HPV infection by testing regularly, being monogamous, and using barrier methods like condoms and dental dams during sex. Vaccination is also recommended for everyone aged 11 to 26 (and even some people up to 45). Though the multi-dose vaccine has been proven effective in protecting against high-risk HPV strains, it’s important to continue getting regular screenings after you’re fully vaccinated.
At-home HPV tests range from about $50 to $100 with free shipping, though your final cost may be lower if you go with an at-home testing company that accepts insurance. For reference, the cost of an HPV test at a clinic can be as low as roughly $30 out of pocket, but this is for the lab analysis only, not any physician fees or insurance copays.
See your doctor or OB-GYN to confirm your diagnosis, especially if you’re experiencing symptoms like warts, since you can receive the appropriate treatment or medication. But be aware that there is no cure for HPV itself, and that if you are asymptomatic, there are no specific treatments recommended. You should have a follow-up test in 12 months (or as recommended), use safer sex methods, and limit your sexual partners.
We considered a dozen companies offering at-home HPV tests to narrow down our list of recommendations based on factors such as cost, FSA/HSA acceptance, number of HPV genotypes screened, accuracy of results, lab accreditation, ease of use, and wait time for results. We also considered shipping speed, availability of medical consultations, and whether insurance is accepted as additional factors. The resulting list of seven at-home HPV tests was created with input from a subject matter expert with a nursing background and was medically reviewed by a member of the Verywell Health Medical Expert Board.
National Cancer Institute. HPV and cancer.
Fontham ETH, Wolf AMD, Church TR, et al. Cervical cancer screening for individuals at average risk: 2020 guideline update from the American Cancer Society. CA A Cancer J Clin. 2020;70(5):321-346. doi:10.3322/caac.21628
Daponte A, Michail G, Daponte A-I, Daponte N, Valasoulis G. Urine HPV in the context of genital and cervical cancer screening—an update of current literature. Cancers. 2021;13(7):1640. doi:10.3390/cancers13071640
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HPV fact sheet.
National Cancer Institute. HPV and pap test results: Next steps after an abnormal cervical cancer screening test.
Fortes HR, von Ranke FM, Escuissato DL, et al. Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: A state-of-the-art review. Resp Med. 2017;126:116-121. doi:10.1016/j.rmed.2017.03.030
National Cancer Institute. Cervical cancer screening.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
Meites E, Gee J, Unger E, Markowitz L. Human papillomavirus. In: Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, 14th ed. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2021:165-178.
By Taneia Surles Taneia Surles, MPH is a health and wellness writer with three years of professional writing experience.
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