Chicago Sun Times Editorial - Women's health gets shot in the arm
Chicago Sun Times Editorial - Women's health gets shot in the arm
Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times
July 3, 2006
The religious right is worried that a new vaccine to prevent cervical cancer will lead to promiscuity and other societal ills, but a federal advisory panel has reasonably ignored all this nonsense and rightly recommended that girls and women between the ages of 11 and 26 be vaccinated with it.
The vaccine prevents not only most types of cervical cancer but also genital warts because it fights strains of the human papillomavirus, which is the cause of these types of sexually transmitted diseases. The human papillomavirus is the most commonly spread sexual infection and stopping its advance would do much to save women's lives. About 4,000 women in the United States die from this disease each year. Almost 11,000 cases of the illness will be diagnosed this year.
The federal advisory recommending use of the vaccine, Gardasil, says girls as young as 9 can be safely vaccinated; since puberty often begins this early, it is an important recommendation. The panel's decision will allow the federal government to spend up to $2 billion to vaccinate poor girls up to 18 years of age, a huge help since the vaccine is very expensive. Gardasil is not going to increase promiscuity, despite what some conservatives might fear. What it will do is save girls and women from dying.
Copyright by The Chicago Sun Times
July 3, 2006
The religious right is worried that a new vaccine to prevent cervical cancer will lead to promiscuity and other societal ills, but a federal advisory panel has reasonably ignored all this nonsense and rightly recommended that girls and women between the ages of 11 and 26 be vaccinated with it.
The vaccine prevents not only most types of cervical cancer but also genital warts because it fights strains of the human papillomavirus, which is the cause of these types of sexually transmitted diseases. The human papillomavirus is the most commonly spread sexual infection and stopping its advance would do much to save women's lives. About 4,000 women in the United States die from this disease each year. Almost 11,000 cases of the illness will be diagnosed this year.
The federal advisory recommending use of the vaccine, Gardasil, says girls as young as 9 can be safely vaccinated; since puberty often begins this early, it is an important recommendation. The panel's decision will allow the federal government to spend up to $2 billion to vaccinate poor girls up to 18 years of age, a huge help since the vaccine is very expensive. Gardasil is not going to increase promiscuity, despite what some conservatives might fear. What it will do is save girls and women from dying.
posted by Carlos T Mock at 9:09 AM
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