A new system of care must be made available to gay, bi and queer men to reduce HPV related cancers. Screening for pre-cancerous lesions and treating them early can dramatically lower the prevalence of anal cancer resulting from HPV infection. Early screening and treatment are vital to better health outcomes for our communities. However, the first line of defense remains prevention of the HPV infections by getting vaccinated against HPV.
While the Federal government’s vaccine advisory committee (NACI) recommended the vaccine for all gay, bi, and queer men, BC’s government does not provide coverage for gay, bi and queer men over 26 years of age.
HIM is organizing the advocacy campaign “GetGarded for Life” to mobilize folks to take action and call upon the BC government to create the necessary change and expand access to the HPV vaccine. You can participate in this by using the tool available on our GetGarded.ca resource page to send a letter to representatives of the BC government.
GetGarded.ca is a resource developed by HIM to help GBQ men and gender diverse people explore the different pathways for them to access the Gardasil vaccine.
