HPV positivity rates
HPV Detection Rate Benchmarking
One of the key elements of quality assessment for the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) is for pathology laboratories to routinely assess their HPV detection rate ('positivity rate'). Laboratories are expected to compare the HPV detection rate in samples of at least 2000 screening specimens against national benchmarks. Data should be restricted to screening samples and to women aged 25 years or over at the time of testing.
The National Cancer Screening Register (NCSR) provides overall and stratified benchmarks that will allow laboratories to assess their detection rates against national averages. The NCSR stratifies benchmark detection rates by age cohort (born before/after June 30, 1980) labelled as pre- and post-1980.
As described in the National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Council’s Requirements for laboratories, reporting tests for the NCSP pathology laboratories must notify the NCSP Quality and Safety Monitoring Committee where a batch does not fall within the expected national average.
Guidance for pathology labs is available from the Guidelines for handling HPV positivity rate quality management process. This includes information on:
- how to calculate the HPV positivity rate and provides examples of how to interpret results
- how to notify the NCSP Quality and Safety Monitoring Committee
- how the NCSP will manage notifications from pathology laboratories about a Query batch.
The Reagent Batch Failure Notification Form outlines the required information, including the date of reagent batch failure, reagent data (lot numbers and expiry dates) and contact details, which can be filled in and emailed to NCSR Operations at the Department of Health and Aged Care to notify the NCSP.
HPV Positivity Rate National Benchmark (Released 16 January 2024)
Please note that as of April 2019 publication, the NCSP Quality and Safety Monitoring Committee has agreed that the HPV Positivity Rate National Benchmark update will become quarterly rather than monthly.
National Benchmark Rates (current as at 16 January 2024) are calculated using Registry data collected from 18 September 2023 to 17 December 2023 using screening samples only for cervical participants aged >=25 years at the time of testing. This quarter’s benchmark has been generated using a three month rolling calculation (91 day window for specimen collection).
- Overall National Benchmark Rate: 7.0%
- Pre-1980 cohort: 4.8%
- Post-1980 cohort: 10.6%
The following zip file contains instructions, and an Excel file with charts and tables that facilitate comparison to these benchmark rates.
The table below displays previously published HPV positivity rates.
To view full details of previously published HPV positivity rates, visit the HPV positivity rates archive.
| HPV Positivity rate – date published | Overall | Pre 1980 | Post 1980 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 November 2023 | 6.8% | 4.5% | 10.6% |
| 8 August 2023 | 6.8% | 4.5% | 10.6% |
| 19 April 2023 | 7.5% | 4.8% | 11.4% |
| 13 January 2023 | 9.3% | 5.7% | 13.2% |
| 7 October 2022 | 11.3% | 7.4% | 14.1% |
| 5 July 2022 | 10.8% | 7.0% | 13.8% |
| 2 May 2022 | 10.4% | 6.8% | 13.6% |
| 14 January 2022 | 10.8% | 6.9% | 14.2% |
| 1 October 2021 | 11.2% | 7.2% | 14.7% |
| 9 April 2021 | 11.2% | 7.4% | 14.6% |
| 12 January 2021 | 10.9% | 7.2% | 14.5% |
| 12 October 2020 | 11% | 7.4% | 14.5% |
| 7 July 2020 | 10.7% | 7.1% | 14.5% |
| 6 January 2020 | 8.2% | 5.7% | 12.9% |
| 2 October 2019 | 8.4% | 5.9% | 13.1% |
| 5 July 2019 | 8.4% | 5.9% | 13.1% |
| 11 April 2019 | 8.6% | 5.9% | 13.8% |
| 1 March 2019 | 8.6% | 5.9% | 13.9% |
| 1 February 2019 | 8.5% | 5.9% | 13.7% |
| 11 January 2019 | 8.4% | 5.9% | 13.6% |
| 11 December 2018 | 8.5% | 6.0% | 13.7% |
| 9 November 2018 | 8.6% | 6.1% | 13.9% |
| 5 October 2018 | 8.7% | 6.1% | 14.0% |
| 7 September 2018 | 8.6% | 6.1% | 13.9% |
| 3 August 2018 | 8.6% | 6.1% | 14.1% |
| 6 July 2018 | 8.7% | 6.2% | 14.2% |
| 1 June 2018 | 8.9% | 6.2% | 14.7% |
| 4 May 2018 | 9.1% | 6.3% | 14.9% |
| 6 April 2018 | 9.0% | 6.2% | 14.8% |
| 9 March 2018 |
9.2% | 6.3% | 15.2% |
| 9 February 2018 |
8.9% | 6.2% | 14.9% |
| 5 January 2018 |
8.9% | 6.1% | 15.7% |
HPV positivity rate archive
To view full details of previously published HPV positivity rates: