Get Your
HPV Vax
Free with us
If you’re on PrEP, responsible care providers will offer protection against HPV.
UPDATED FREE HPV VACCINE POLICY APRIL 2, 2024
Get your
HPV Vax
How to get the HPV vaccine free with us?
Start PrEP with the clinic
After 4 months of PrEP care
Get the 1st dose of Gardasil-9 for $0
Continue PrEP with us
Get the 2nd and 3rd dose of Gardasil-9 for $0
*individuals 26 years and under or with full insurance coverage can waive the waiting period.
What is HPV?
HPV is the Human Papilloma Virus and can be acquired through sexual activity. It is the main cause of cervical cancer and can lead to mouth, throat, penile, and anal cancers. HPV is also the virus that causes anal and genital warts.
But did you know there’s a highly effective vaccine for the virus – and that it is recommended for all genders?
HPV is not the same as herpes or cold sores (this is known as HSV or Herpes Simplex Virus).
Is the HPV vaccine free?
The vaccine is available free to all ongoing PrEP patients with our clinic – with no age restrictions – at our in-person locations. (See eligibility below)
The vaccine is called Gardasil-9 and protects against nine strains of the virus. If you have already been exposed to some strains of the virus it will only protect against the other ones. This is why it is best to get the vaccine earlier in life. However, older adults can find benefit and it is often still recommended.
If you were to access the vaccine through a local Public Health clinic they only provide it free until 26. For people over 26 it is over $200 per injection everywhere else and there are three in the series. However, our patients pay $0 at our in-person Toronto, Brampton, & Ottawa locations.
Eligibility for FREE HPV Vaccination:
For patients over 26 years of age, to be eligible to take part in our free HPV vaccination program you will need to be in continuous PrEP care with the clinic for at least 4 months prior to the first dose. HPV vaccination is a 3-dose series typically administered over a 6-month period.
To be eligible for all 3 doses a patient must be an ongoing patient at The PrEP Clinic at the time of each vaccination. For example, actively on PrEP medication and regularly completing routine 3-month PrEP testing.
Please note: patients 26 years of age and younger or those with full insurance coverage may still initiate prior to the 4-month waiting period above.
What is Hepatitis?
Hepatitis is a viral infection that can cause inflammation of the liver. We screen for Hepatitis A, B and C once a year.
Hepatitis A is typically more associated with travelling and eating undercooked food, however it can be acquired through some sexual acts such as rimming. Hepatitis A can make a person quite sick however most people recover from it – it is not a lifelong infection.
Hepatitis B can be acquired a few ways including through sexual activity. In Ontario, Hepatitis B is part of routine immunization in school but some people either were never vaccinated, or their immunity has worn off. Most people who acquire Hepatitis B will recover from it, however in some people it can remain as a lifelong infection.
Hepatitis C can be acquired through blood exposure including shared drug use. It less commonly can be acquired through sexual activity. There is no available vaccine, although current treatment is highly effective.
Are Hepatitis vaccines free?
We also offer free Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B vaccinations to all of our PrEP clinic patients at our in-person locations.
Alternatively, Hepatitis A and B vaccines can be accessed through your local Public Health Unit at no cost.
For people accessing our care online across Ontario, our team can also provide you with a prescription to get the vaccines done locally in your community.
Hepatitis vaccines are provided only to patients in PrEP care at our clinics. First doses will be provided after lab result follow-up and initiation of PrEP.
Are there vaccine side effects?
Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and HPV vaccines are typically well tolerated. The most common side effects would be temporary local irritation or redness.
Side effects that may be more common with some other vaccines such as fever or feeling unwell do not commonly occur with these three.