Grant: Project Grant

Public health experts recommend human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for males and females. In some Canadian provinces, there is a publicly funded HPV vaccine program for young men up to 26 years old who are gay or bisexual or are other men who have sex with men. These men are at higher risk for cancers caused by HPV than the general population. HPV vaccine is also recommended for older men, but its cost must be covered by extended health insurance or be paid out of pocket. Based on findings from clinical trials, the vaccine should protect against ongoing infection about 60% of the time in young, healthy men. Research is needed to see if that will be true in real life. We will follow men in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal to determine how many have ongoing HPV infection, and whether having had HPV vaccine lowers their risk. This will allow us to calculate how well the vaccine works in younger and older men. These findings will help us to evaluate HPV vaccination programs for this high-risk population. They will be shared with public health experts, clinicians, and community members to design better HPV prevention programs, such as vaccination and cancer screening guidelines.