Posted on 06/29/2006 8:17:37 PM PDT by Oshkalaboomboom
Cervical cancer kills 200,000 women worldwide every year. So one would think that a promising new vaccine that prevents HPV infection (the leading cause of cervical cancer) would be accepted with open arms and a sigh of relief.
But religious conservative groups in the US, who have their claws in the vaccine approval process, are less than excited. Why? Because being vaccinated against a potentially deadly disease could make girls slutty. Seriously.
The national advisory committee on immunisation practices at the CDC is due to vote on whether to make the vaccine part of the standard shots alolescent girls receive. But conservative groups oppose making the vaccine mandatory for entry into public schools.
The Nation's Katha Pollitt reported on this a while back, and the reasoning behind their opposition is terrifying.
"Giving HPV vaccine to young women could be potentially harmful," Bridget Maher of the Family Research Council told the British magazine New Scientist, "because they may see it as a license to engage in premarital sex."
Raise your hand if you think that what is keeping girls virgins now is the threat of getting cervical cancer when they are 60 from a disease they've probably never heard of.
But better off with cancer than slutty, right?
Christian conservatives spouting off about premarital sex is nothing new, of course. But this time around we have something to be concerned about.
One of the members of the panel who will vote today is Dr Reginald Finger, who was recommended by the ultra-conservative Focus on the Family.Keeping in line with Focus on the Family's message, Finger has said that marketing or promoting the vaccine could makes adolescent sex safer, and thereby "undermine the abstinence-only message". Uh-oh ...
Hear that? "This is not about keeping young girls healthy- it's about keeping them pure."
(Excerpt) Read more at commentisfree.guardian.co.uk ...
Jessica has a Masters degree in Women's and Gender Studies from Rutgers University and has worked with organizations such as Legal Momentum (formerly NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund), Planned Parenthood, the Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) and Ms. Magazine.
You have to wonder about people whose views are so radical that even the MSM won't touch them and they have to go overseas to find a forum. It is pretty funny stuff to read tho.
Aren't most cases of HPV sexually transmitted?
The FDA does not approve vaccines easily.
Who are the so called religious groups mentioned (not by name) in the posted portion of the article?)
Names?
Feministing.com?
Legal Momentum...?
Did I forget how to read?
Obviously a pathetic attempt at knocking down straw men. Focus on the Family is a pretty good representative of what she describes as the "religious right" so read for yourself their position on vaccines. http://www.focusonyourchild.com/health/art1/A0001864.html
Hint: It's not what this article claims.
Her degrees are easy to get...I have a whole roll of them in my bathroom...next to the toilet.
From CDC Information for health care providers
"HPV infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States (U.S.), with approximately 20 million Americans currently infected. Each year, an additional 6.2 million people become newly infected.1 As many as half of those infected with HPV are adolescents and young adults, ages 15-24 years."
I don't know where you get your information from, but you are 100% wrong.
I think the above writer quoted one person with a wacky comment and ignored all the reasonable responses.
And I can't see how it would be perceived as a license for sexual activity anymore than condoms, the pill or the hepatitis vaccine would be.
Kids are going to fornicate with or without any of the above.
Well, it is nice to get some input from the Taliban.
I thought the article was poorly written and sarcastic. The author has an obvious agenda, which probably has more to do with making the Religious objectors look bad, than advocating for the vaccine. However, the poster I responded to was just making things up.
While objecting to the mandatory vaccinations is reasonable, I personally think the vaccination is a good thing. I doubt that it will encourage teenagers to have sex, because a vast majority will not have any idea what it is, or why they were vaccinated. I also doubt that HPV is a deterrent to premarital sex. AIDS is much scarier, and that doesn't seem to be much of a deterrent. What I know for sure is that cervical cancer is horrible. Maybe a woman was promiscuous or maybe she got HPV from her husband on their wedding night, neither deserves cervical cancer. (I realize you didn't say they did. I am referring to some of those who have)
The bimbo needs to keep her skivvies on and take personal responsibility for her lack of discretion. You get HPV one way: by sexual contact.
Think about it. If HPV was airborne, we'd all be walking around covered with warts. Ick. But it isn't. It is sexually transmitted.
Christians aren't conniving to prevent an HPV vaccine from getting approved. The tramp is just looking for someone else to blame for the consequences of her own inability to find clean people to bonk. She needs to grow up and take what she earned.
I'll love you until 3:00 am in the morning....NEXT!
I think that is most ignorant statement I have ever seen in all my years on Free Republic.
ping
"If you get cervical cancer you pretty much earned it. HPV is not that prevalent as an STD. You went more than just a few laps around the track."
Bullcrap, you moron. All it takes is to marry a man who slept with one previously infected woman. Did you even bother to read the Focus on the Family link above?
This is exactly what happened to a very close family member of mine who is wasting away from cervical cancer at age 61.
Try thinking about what you are writing before you spread your holier than thou excrement. I hope you take a long look at the way you view the world before you meet The Lord on Judgement Day.
This Liberal bitch is also a liar.
Focus on the Family position paper says THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
Focus on the Family SUPPORTS the HPV vaccine.
Jessica Valenti is a typical weasel feminist whore.
"But religious conservative groups in the US, who have their CLAWS in the vaccine approval process..."
No agenda here.
Ok, morality and politics aside, what are the long-term effects of this vaccine? Nobody knows??? Oh, lets just give it to children pronto!! (sarcasm)
Reddy
(no chicken pox or hepatitis vaccine for my children)
Miss Valenti first avoids at all costs to mention what is HPV, how does one contract it, what are the odds of infection per 100 contacts etc. I guess girls are supposed to be so hip today (not to mention the older folk) that everyone knows all about HPV.
She also totally avoid the topic of making this a required vaccine. That should be up to the parents to allow for all the obvious reasons. Standard feminist fascist.
Notice on the linked-site article the much smaller font for comments against the forced vaccination ie. saying "this was said by a pinhead."
This vaccine just finished a clinical trial using 666(?) subjects and appeared to prove very successful. That being said to make it a mandatory vaccination for ALL adolescent girls - Valenti doesn't mention what age - is outrageous. A larger pool should be tested BEFORE any consideration for upgrading the shot to a required status.
This is not serious analysis (duh) and therefore is a clear example of how neolibs avoid presenting the most basic facts instead replacing them with nasty, condescending, childish attacks.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.