Young gay men receive a free HPV vaccine

HPV vaccine.Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix

Men who have sex with other men are at greater risk of cancer due to HPV virus. Therefore, they are now offered the HPV vaccine for free.

 

The offer goes to men born from 1991 or later for a limited period, according to Sykepleien.

Men who have sex with men have, according to studies, are at a higher risk of contracting the HPV virus, which can lead to rectal cancer. They also lack the flock protection against the HPV virus as boys who have sex with girls get through the girls having gotten the vaccine, writes the magazine.

The offer also goes to substance abuse addicts and sex workers. It is clear that the authority this summer agreed with the manufacturer to give a surplus stock of 18,000 doses to vulnerable groups. The vaccine is given in three rounds, so that there are free vaccines for a total of 6,000 people.

Those who wish to make use of the offer must contact their municipal health service.

By the end of last year, over 83,000 women had received a free HPV vaccine against cervical cancer since the program began one year earlier. The vaccine has shown to provide nearly 90 percent protection from severe cellular changes in women who were not infected with the HPV virus at the time of vaccination.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today