The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV): It Looks Cute Under a Microscope, But It's Not Very Pretty on Your Noonie......
This might be my most unpopular post ever, but so be it. I have always said, and history has shown that the Republican Party's strengths have always been on topics relating to business and foreign policy. On the flipside, it seems that everytime the GOP makes a big push to inflict their "personal beliefs" on others, it loses it's credibility , and in turn, it's power. Enter now, the latest issue that makes us look bad......... The HPV Innoculation Debate.
I got the SC Hotline e-mail that had Kevin Hall's article on the discussion, and while I agree on some points, there are a couple things missing that make me wonder if he forgot to take them into consideration, or if he ignored them on purpose. I would think the latter of the two, because this appears to be the way the party leadership is going....... the more to the Right you are, the better Republican you are.
It is true that 3700 women die each year from cervical cancer, that the HPV virus causes it, and the virus is transmitted through sexual contact. Gee, if it were only for that last point, this would be a no-brainer. Therein lies the true rationalization: that anything having to do with sexually transmitted diseases doesn't merit protecting our kids.
While I don't like Planned Parenthood, especially with their attitudes towards abortion, Kevin Hall's argument dances with the idea that if you innoculate a girl for one specific STD, that she will view it as a license to be a slut. Maybe it's not said directly, but you and I know that is an overriding argument behind it. If we all just left government out of it, and we locked our daughters in a closet until they're married, all the problems associated with it would go away. Well folks, girls are hitting puberty at 11 years old or sooner, and most of them are having sex before they turn 16 - illegal or not. It's time our party really got out of the 50's, and addressed issues like this in the same sensible manner that we do with others.
Here's a good question.... How many of you knew what HPV even was?? Most people don't. that being said, how are uneducated parents supposed to make an educated decision on his program? It's not big government telling it's citizens what to do - it's just a fact that the best place to have the program are in schools. But again, we're talking about an STD here, so forget it. I'd like to know if those who object to this vaccine would object if an AIDS vaccine were developed. After all, it is a disease where many of them got it by sex, homosexuality and IV drug use. Ever think of it that way? Doesn't sound like it.
How can you look at this in a way a smart Republican would? Look at it from a financial aspect. What is the biggest crisis facing State and Federal government today? Medicaid... This program easily pays for itself. There is a huge block of women who are uneducated by anyone about this STD, they get it, and then they cost taxpayers thousands of dollars down the road to treat it. But again, it's an STD, and heaven forbid we look at it sensibly. Whores and Pimps don't have any rights I guess......
Part of being a good representative is protecting all your constituents, even it sometimes interferes with your personal beliefs. We are obligated to do this, especially when it pays for itslef in the long run. One person who's opinion I would love to hear on this is Kris Crawford's, who is the only medical doctor in the House of Representatives. I care more about his opinion than Kevin Hall's or Katon Dawson's, who seem to be trying to Out-Right each other lately. Sorry if I let down or offended anyone, but I see this as more of a public health issue than a moral one.....
2 comments:
Mike, if we're going to vaccinate the girls, we have to, by extension of title IX vaccinate the boys for HPV.
I've known researchers to have been turned down on bids for grants because, though the process they were working on was primarily for cancer, it could be used to treat among other viruses, Herpes Simplex, for which one of its family IS a sexually transmitted disease (STD).
On the whole, abstinence is the best route to prevent the spread of STDs, including AIDS and limiting the incidence of unwanted pregnancies... that comes down to taking personal responsibility and bearing up to the consequences of your actions.
All that said, another side of this is the lesser incidence of HPV caused cervical cancer from non sexual means. I'll grant that it is possible to transmit the virus by means other than intercourse, so potentially, one could "catch" it in the bathroom, but it has a remote chance of happening that way. BTW, whose hands have been on that keyboard and did you wash yours before using it or the mouse?
Personally, vaccinate all or vaccinate none at state expense. The folks that developed the HPV vaccine have spent quite a bit to try to have their elixir vitae adminstered to every school girl and between GMC and Ford, they'd love to have the same market advantage. Mike this is one issue where the econimic gain of a drug company are left hidden behind a veil of emotions on the mainstream media's stage, as are the billions in profits from selling ritalin for ADD and ADHD.
It is a choice.
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