The provincial government is changing a seven-year-old policy and will begin offering HPV vaccines without charge to young men.
Starting in January 2016, men aged 26 and under who have sexual relations with other men will be eligible to get the vaccine against the human papilloma virus.
Next school year, in September 2016, boys in grade 4 will also be offered the HPV vaccine. Parents of those aged 13 and under need to give their consent before a child is vaccinated.
In 2008 Quebec began offering the HPV vaccine to girls in grade 4, and to young women, even though experts urged the vaccine be available to males and females.
HPV is a leading cause of genital cancers, including cancer of the cervix, penis and anus, and of genital warts.
HPV is also responsible for some oral cancers, and is the leading cause of head and neck cancers in men under the age of 40.
The vaccine offered in Quebec protects against four strains of HPV which are responsible for 90 percent of genital warts and 70 percent of cervical cancer.
HPV does not always lead to warts or cancer, but it is an extremely common disease and 75 percent of Canadians have had it. Up to 1,500 women contract cervical cancer each year, and the disease kills 400 people annually.
Earlier this year Manitoba and Nova Scotia announced the vaccine would be available for boys in those provinces, while Alberta and PEI already provide the vaccine to all children.
A study by Toronto researchers showed giving the HPV vaccine to all children would save Canada $12 million each year in cancer treatments.
