A REQUEST FOR funding for a HPV vaccination programme in a gay men’s health clinic was turned down, the Medical Independent has learned.

Reporter David Lynch discovered that the unnamed clinic was turned down, essentially because the HSE didn’t have enough funds to support it.

The 2013 Immunisation Guidelines for Ireland states that the HPV should be “considered” for sexually active gay men.

A HSE spokesperson confirmed that this is the accepted advice but that for now, the HSE can only fund the HPV vaccination programme for girls in first year and the catch-up programme for girls in sixth year of second-level school and not any other group at this time”.

High take-up of HPV vaccine by school girls>

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