Posted on 09/17/2011 3:24:41 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Like the plague of AIDS (the US is the only place where it’s spread more by sodomy than other sexual behaviors) its transmission is almost always tied to behavior. I am an old fashioned right-hand-threaded wing nut who believes the dignity of humans to choose or refuse a medication that DOES have documented side effects (however rare) rises above that of dogs or cats.
I know its tied to behavior, like AIDS except HPV much more common and widespread.
I’ve done a graduate course on medical ethics, from an evangelical Christian perspective. Christian medical ethics—based in, very seriously the Hippocratic Oath (yep, the “Do no harm” one that also forbids abortion...), has always made NO distinction in treatment between self inflicted disease and innocent victim disease—as everyone is a sinner and sickness itself results from a fallen world.
Therefore it IS very ethical, and right, to spend money on AIDS research even though—in the USA 95%+ of the victim get it from illicit and usually perverted sex, or illegal drug use. The remaining 5% get it from contact with non-innocent victims. At the same time—is it right—with limited resources to spend money on AIDS research that takes away money from Heart Disease, which affects a LOT more people—and is not related to unethical behavior? No. All this is a matter of judgement though.
As to treatment—everyone should be treated alike, without worrying about how they got a disease. This is how Hippocratic Oath/Christian principles apply to individual doctors treating anyone.
Back to the HPV vaccine—it doesn’t hurt the moral people, and greatly helps the less than moral people (which really...is everyone, speaking from a biblical perspective)—and can give protection from innocent forms of transmission (as rare as those might be...)too, so WHY OPPOSE IT, unless for unscientific, ignorant, “vaccines are an evil plot” reasons?
Your winding up with a strawman after a bunch of liberal “logic” says all that needs to be said.
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