HPV (Human Papillomavirus)

HPV: Our Family's Story

Audra and her aunt Laura are strong believers in the HPV vaccine, for good reason: Gisel, Audra's mother and Laura's older sister, died from cervical cancer at only 38.  

Access: HPV

A four-minute video for teens about HPV

Questions and Answers with Dr. Gina Ogilvie

A 20-minute video for parents about HPV

Carmen's story

Do you know what a colposcopy is? How about a cone biopsy? Hear Carmen's moving experiences dealing with the consequences of living with HPV (4 minutes)

Summer's story

Watch Summer Smith's story of diagnosis, treatment, family support and eventual passing away

BC women aged 19 to 21 eligible for one-time free HPV vaccine! 

A one-time human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine program is being offered to women in British Columbia born in 1991, 1992 and 1993 to protect them from cervical cancer. Read more :http://immunizebc.ca/diseases-vaccinations/hpv/HPV19to21

Miss getting immunized against HPV in school?

Find out where you can go to get vaccinated.

Quick facts

  • 50 women die in BC every year from cervical cancer
  • The HPV vaccine is 98% effective against the two most common cancer causing strains, HPV 16 and 18
  • Millions of doses of the HPV vaccine have been given worldwide and the vaccine continues to be safe and effective, and its benefits continue to outweigh its risks.
  • The HPV vaccine is free for girls born in 1994 and later.

About the vaccine

There are two HPV vaccines licensed for use in Canada. One, Gardasil®, protects against 2 types of Human Papillomaviruses that cause most cervical cancers and a number of less common cancers such as cancers of the anus, penis, vagina and vulva. It also protects against 2 types of HPV that cause genital warts. The other, Cervarix™, provides protection against 2 cancer-causing strains.


Who is eligible to receive HPV vaccine?

Gardasil® is currently provided free to girls in BC in grade 6. 
The vaccine is given in grade 6 because girls are best protected when they get the HPV vaccine before they become sexually active. The vaccine prevents HPV infection but does not get rid of it once the infection occurs. In teenage girls, the lining of the reproductive tract is still developing which makes it easier for them to get infected with HPV.

What if a girl missed getting the vaccine as part of the school program? 



The HPV vaccine continues to be provided free to all girls born after 1994 who missed their shots in grade 6 or 9. Girls who have missed getting immunized during the school year can contact their local public health unit to set up an appointment for the vaccine.



Who else is recommended to receive the HPV vaccine?

The HPV vaccine, Gardasil, is also approved for but not provided free to females between the ages of 9 and 45 years and males between the ages of 9 and 26 years. For information on the HPV vaccine in males click here

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If you are not covered by the school-based program please visit your doctor and get a prescription for the vaccine, which costs around $500 for three doses. 



Other Useful Vaccine Links

Human papillomavirus (HPV)

Electron micrograph of human papillomavirus (HPV). Courtesy of NCI. 1986.

About the disease

  • HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
  • Three out of four sexually active women will get HPV at some point in their lives.
  • Most don’t show any signs or symptoms and can pass the virus on to others without even knowing it.
  • Most HPV infections will clear on their own but for some women the HPV will not go away and cells infected with the virus can become cancerous over time.

Every year in BC:

  • 150 women will get cervical cancer
  • 50 women will die from the disease
  • 6,000 women will develop high risk changes to the cervix which are precancerous
  • 12,000 invasive procedures will be done to stop cancer of the cervix from developing

HPV visualized: Comparing the safety of the HPV vaccine to the risks from the disease

Other Useful Links