OpEdNews - Diary: The HPV vaccine war continues

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Ever since the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was approved last year by the FDA, it's been at the center of a lot of sanctimonious right-wing histrionics. An article yesterday by the Associated Press pretty well sums up the hot points on the issue. Foremost is the tired old right-wing assertion that giving a girl the vaccine will make her promiscuous. Sure, HPV is sexually transmitted. But so are a whole lot of other diseases. The HPV vaccine isn't going to prevent syphilis or herpes or AIDS. But it will prevent cervical cancer. Doesn't that count for something among the so-called "pro-life" folks? Besides, the vaccination process can make a good opening for educating our daughters about the other types of sexually transmitted diseases and how to prevent them. After all, ignorance is far more likely to lead to promiscuity and disease than a potentially life-saving vaccination. But, of course, the anti-vaccine contingent likely overlaps significantly with the dangerously irresponsible abstinence-only crowd, so this argument won't fly with them. I'm not necessarily in favor of making this vaccine mandatory for all girls. After all, it seems that most of the vaccinations required for entry into school are for infectious diseases that can be spread by classroom proximity. HPV doesn't travel in a sneeze or a cough. But the bottom line is that the right-wing stance is not about saving lives. It's about controlling women. As with the anti-choice lobby, it's about keeping in place all possible unwanted consequences for girls and women who have sex. Meanwhile, they're all too happy to let the Viagra flow freely. -----