Following the Sexual Health Review commissioned by the Welsh Government and a project, supported through the Bevan Commission Exemplars programme, to develop a new testing strategy for self-sampling for STIs, a pilot service has been run successfully in the Hywel Dda University Health Board area in Wales. We are now expanding this pilot to cover the whole of Wales. Public Health Wales, in collaboration with the sexual health services of the seven Health Boards and Signum Health, are leading this project which has been funded by Welsh Government. This will help inform future service provision in Wales.

From the beginning of June 2020, test kits for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C can be requested by individuals through the Frisky Wales website (https://www.friskywales.org/index.html).  Service users work through the platform answering a number of relevant questions related to sexual health and gain information regarding local services. The kit is posted to the users for home use and is returned to the laboratory for processing.  All negative results are texted to the individual, whilst those with positive results or identified as having safeguarding issues are contacted by their local sexual health service for any necessary treatment and care.

User feedback from the Hywel Dda pilot has been overwhelming regarding the effectiveness of the service in terms of reducing waiting times at the local drop-in clinics, reduced anxiety/embarrassment about visiting a sexual health clinic and being able to self-test in their own time, for instance.  We will continue to monitor uptake across Wales and assess the pilot and provide an update as necessary.