The HPV vaccine is recommended for protection against human papilloma virus, or HPV. Currently, the only free way for people to get the HPV vaccine is through public schools as it is given to Ontario students in Grade 7. If you, like thousands of other young people, did not get the vaccine in public school, you are being expected to pay upwards of $500+ for all three necessary dosages of the vaccine. With most insurance plans not covering or subsidizing the cost, this is simply unaffordable for the majority of young people in Ontario.

Studies estimate that 75 per cent of sexually active Canadians will have a sexually transmitted HPV infection at some point in their lives. HPV can cause cervical, vaginal, and throat cancer, as well as complications to pregnancy and fertility. 

Currently, the Ontario government is offering the HPV vaccine for free to men 26 years of age or younger who identify as gay, bisexual, as well as some individuals who identify as trans. We are asking the Ontario government to extend this initiative to include everyone, regardless of gender, under the age of 26 for free HPV immunization.