The only problem I have with this news is that girls are being singled out for a vaccine that should work for boys too. If HP Virus can cause cancer in women, it certainly can’t be good for men either. It has the air of a sinister social experiment to only vaccinate one gender.
At least the vaccinations are going ahead, though. If it were up to the nutcases in the Right to Life Association (soon to be called the Right to Cancer Association), the girls wouldn’t even be seeing the benefit of Guardasil [the vaccine against HPV]. I’d like to be polite when talking about people who are concerned for the safety of children, but when you look at the facts, these fruitcakes are doing more harm than good. Their brethren in Texas, for instance, are responsible for extremely high rates of teen pregnancy, and along with it Sexually Transmitted Infections.
The Newfoundland Right to Life Association describes its mission as “to protect human life at all stages, from conception to natural death.”
Patrick Hanlon, president of the association in St. John’s, said he’s afraid the vaccination program is going to provide young people “a licence, a green light to go ahead and be sexually active … leading to a rise in sexually transmitted diseases and promiscuity in general.”
Patrick, let me tell you ’bout the birds and the bees, and the flowers and the trees, and the moon up above, and a thing we call pre-teen sex. Giving a child a needle or a condom doesn’t increase their likelihood of having pre-marital sex. Giving children a chance to be alone with each other enables them to do that — they do have functioning genitals. So unless you’re into herding wild children away from each other, the most beneficial thing you can do would be to teach children how to have safe sex if their parents let them roam free.
And here’s a shocker, when the child goes off to live on their own at 17/18, the “kid” will probably try to have sex because you aren’t there to restrain them any longer. If you or a school didn’t take the hour to explain safe sex and body functions to the youth, then they’ll have to fend for themselves. Are you willing to let the Internet and TV educate your children as to the correct way to prevent pregnancy and infection?
@hotmail.com
![[EFC Blue Ribbon - Free Speech Online]](http://www.efc.ca/images/efcfreet.gif)
s.b. | 12-Aug-07 at 7:30 am | Permalink
Um boys don’t get cervical cancer. If a male wants the vaccine he will be able to get it, just as a female not in grade 3 or 6 will be able to get it from public health. A funded vaccine is a funded vaccine. It just won’t be administerd in school. For example, many childern never get vaccinated in school, they do hawever get vaccinated. Don’t confuse a school program with funding for a vaccine. I personally would not have my daughter vaccinated against an STD in grade 3.
Saskboy | 12-Aug-07 at 3:34 pm | Permalink
I didn’t think boys had a cervix, duh ;-)
But if HPV causes cancer in cervical tissue, what (possibly undiscovered problems) does it cause in male tissues?
I would have a grade 3 vaccinated. If the vaccination lasts their entire life, the sooner they get it the better. Sex isn’t the only way to spread many STIs.
Megan | 12-Aug-07 at 8:40 pm | Permalink
Funny how there’s tons of controversy about the HPV vaccine, yet we immunize babies against hep B without a second thought. How do these Right To Life people think hep B spreads?
I think all kids should get the vaccine. Girls have to deal with the really bad consequences, but boys are spreading the virus too.
Candace | 12-Aug-07 at 9:40 pm | Permalink
I got beat up (somewhat) badly by saying I (rightwinger) would DEFINITELY push for my daughter to get vaccinated (I think in AB we have to go ask for it vs it being in the schools yet).
WTF????
If she can get vaccinated NOW, prior to any kind of sex (safe, pre- or post-marital, who gives a damn), what kind of mental midget would I have to be to say “no” to that?
OF COURSE I want her to wait until she is old enough to make an intelligent and somewhat informed decision before having sex. I’M HER MOTHER!
But I’m also a realist. Vaccine, here we come.
Rhonda | 12-Aug-07 at 9:53 pm | Permalink
http://www.hpvinfo.ca/hpvinfo/home.aspx?gclid=CNzyxtzH8Y0CFR3JYAod2Q3fMA
Case in point, if you read a bit further about HPV it causes genital and anal warts. Guys have anus’, don’t they? So by vaccinating the women we’re protecting men.
Think about it this way - we all rely on something called “herd immunity”. Some families choose not to vaccinate their children at all, for different reasons (autism, religious reasons). They rely on the rest of the population who are vaccinated to keep themselves healthy. All it takes is for an unvaccinated person infected with a disease to infect those in that unvaccinated population to cause a huge outbreak. If you want to consider it this way, HPV is among 75% of Canadians at least once in their lifetime. That number will continue to rise if the young’ins don’t get vaccinated.
Why risk getting an infection when it can be prevented?
Another alarming thing… you can get chlamydia even with condom use…
I think the emphasis on “Right” to life is in the “right”… if they have a right to make a choice for me then really it’s inhibiting my rights to make my own choices. Who are they to say what my rights to have sex, have children (or not on the other side of things)….
Rhonda | 12-Aug-07 at 9:55 pm | Permalink
Why aren’t men vaccinated?? They don’t know if the vaccine is effective on men, and if it truly decreases the risk to women.
Google it…
Gardenista | 14-Aug-07 at 10:01 am | Permalink
In response to Megan - I actually wrote the NF Right to Life people about the Hep B vaccine asking if they were going to mount a campaign against it too. I believe it is given in Grade 4 in NF, according to their public health website. They said they were unaware of that and will reserve comment until they look into it further.
Did you know that Australia gives the HPV vaccine to men? Merck is currently doing a study on males to see how effective it is on preventing infection. It isn’t routinely given to males in N. America because the FDA has granted a licence for this (but doctors are stilled allowed to give the vaccine “off label” as needed). Therefore, the company is not allowed to advertise it for men. But remember, nearly all pediatric meds are used “off label” because they weren’t tested for kids.