Sheffield sexual health test provider passes four million milestone

Sheffield-based Preventx said nearly half of those kits had been sent out since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, helping to take the pressure off in-person services.

Preventx partners with over 60 NHS trusts and local authorities, supporting them to deliver care to their communities around the country.

With each kit containing multiple tests for each user to take, Preventx has run over 10 million tests for infectious diseases since launching in 2008.

Through its technology platform, Preventx sends out 20,000 test kits to people across the UK each week, processing over 300,000 tests each month in its laboratory at Meadowhall Business Park.

In 2021, Preventx invested £1m to double the size of its laboratory and packing and dispatch operations.

The company currently employs nearly 80 people, and this is set to continue to expand, creating more tech, scientific and warehousing jobs for locals and graduates in the city.

Ruth Poole, chief executive of Preventx, said: “Collaborating with our NHS and local authority partners, we are privileged to have been able to support four million people across the UK, enabling them to access online testing and helping them to stay safe and well.

“We are seeing a change in how people take care of their sexual health, with nearly 2 million of our test kits sent out since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As everyone is so used to lateral flow tests, this growth highlights the public’s increasing comfort with testing themselves at home.

She added: “We are proud to be Sheffield-based and delighted to be able to provide over 80 roles for science graduates in the Sheffield area.

“We have big ambitions to grow and hope to bring more opportunities to the city in the future, as we continue to provide safe, effective STI testing to more and more people across the UK.”