A new system of care must be made available to gay, bi and queer men to reduce HPV related cancers. The research is clear. Screening for pre-cancerous lesions and treating them early can dramatically lower the prevalence and mortality related to anal cancer resulting from HPV infection. These findings are already being prepared for peer-review publication. Once they are published, we will know more about what changes should be made to our health system to promote early screening and treatment.
However, the first line of defense remains prevention of the HPV infections by getting vaccinated against HPV. Today, we can affect large scale change by telling BC’s government to fund the HPV vaccine to all gay, bi, and queer men by using the form below.
(Please give the form a few seconds to load. Also please note that the form will automatically assign recipients based on your address to ensure that the relevant local representatives receive your letter).
The Federal government’s vaccine advisory committee (NACI) recommended the vaccine for all gay, bi, and queer men however BC’s government does not provide coverage for gay, bi and queer men over 26 years of age.
Who does the BC government currently provide the HPV Vaccine to?
In British Columbia, HPV is available at no cost to:
- Women, if they receive their vaccine before the age of 19.
- Heterosexual men before the age of 19 and gay, bi, and queer men up until the age of 26.
- Transgender people up until the age of 26
In BC, the HPV Vaccine is administered through an in-school public vaccination program. The program started in 2008 for girls but it did not start for boys until 2017. As a result, a large majority of men have not received the HPV vaccine.
ARE GAY, BI, AND QUEER MEN AT A HIGHER RISK TO DEVELOP CANCER RELATED TO HPV?
Yes. gay, bi, and queer men already have a disproportionately high burden of HPV infection. On top of that, Canada’s National Immunization Guide says this group of men are about 20 times more likely than heterosexual men to develop anal cancer.
IS THE VACCINE APPROVED FOR USE IN MEN OVER THE AGE OF 26?
Yes, Health Canada extended approval for the HPV vaccine in August 2020 to include men between 27-45. In fact, the Federal Government’s advisory council on vaccines (NACI) recommends that gay, bi and queer men receive the HPV vaccine.
WHY DON’T MORE GAY, BI AND QUEER MEN BETWEEN THE AGE OF 27-45 GET THE HPV VACCINE?
Cost is the largest obstacle. The HPV vaccine costs approximately $600 dollars.
Since HPV vaccination for school aged boys only started in 2017, there is a large majority of gay, bi and queer men currently not protected from HPV.
HOW CAN WE ADVOCATE FOR FURTHER COVERAGE OF THE HPV VACCINE FOR GAY, BI AND QUEER MEN?
It’s not hard. We won the fight to have PrEP funded and we can get the HPV vaccine funded too.
Letting our Minister of Health Adrian Dix and your local MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) know that this matters to you and your loved ones is the perfect start.
By signing the petition and sending letters to our elected officials we can let BC’s government know that cancer prevention matters.
