In March 2026, UK diagnostics company Abingdon Health launched the world's first saliva-based pregnancy self-test under the Boots own-brand label, making it available both in-store and online across the UK's largest health and beauty retailer. Developed in partnership with Israeli diagnostics firm Salignostics and UK distributor Crest Medical, the test offers a non-invasive alternative to the urine-based pregnancy tests that have dominated the market for decades.

Why It Matters

The pregnancy test hasn't meaningfully changed since the first home urine test appeared in 1976 — it's been nearly half a century of peeing on sticks. A saliva-based alternative removes the biggest friction point in the user experience while maintaining comparable accuracy. For the femtech industry, this signals that even the most mature consumer health categories are ripe for reinvention. The Boots own-brand placement, rather than a niche DTC play, suggests the retail establishment sees saliva testing as the future, not a novelty. If consumer adoption follows, expect saliva-based formats to expand into ovulation testing and other reproductive health diagnostics.

The saliva test claims 90% accuracy on the first day of a missed period, rising to 96% on day two and 97% by day three — comparable to established urine tests at a similar stage. While the underlying Salistick product has been available through Superdrug and Tesco since 2023, the Boots own-brand launch represents a major retail validation moment, putting the technology under the most trusted pharmacy brand in the UK.

Chris Yates, CEO of Abingdon Health, highlighted the launch as demonstrating "our ability to deliver innovative and disruptive private label products" alongside one of the UK's most recognized health retailers. The UK pregnancy self-test market is expected to reach $56.7 million by 2033, and the saliva format could capture a meaningful share by appealing to users who find urine-based testing inconvenient, uncomfortable, or difficult to use correctly.

Sources

Update — 2026-03-22

Initial entry — story first created.