Vaccines Do Not Lead To Sex
Perry Orders Cancer Vaccine For Young Girls AND Vaccine Proposal Likely To Stir Debate
Governor Perry of Texas has taken a groundbreaking step in public health in requiring the vaccine for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) be administered to all young girls in the sixth grade of all public schools in Texas. This type of public health approach isn't new. In fact, it goes back to the days when people with syphilis could be isolated from the society because of the danger they presented to the world. In fact, the world over, such was the case for anyone contracting leprosy (Hansen's Disease), even back in the days of Jesus Christ.
But vaccines are a source of a lot of controversy. There is a question of whether or not requiring vaccines violates constitutional rights regarding parenting and medical decision-making. Then there are actual questions as to the validity of some vaccines, there effectiveness, and the effect on individuals. The DPT (sometimes called DTP) immunization against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis required for all infants has a history of producing some undesired neurological effects that have been reported to cause permanent problems. Then, too was the issue of Thiomersal, the preservative used in DPT (and other vaccines) that contains a small amount of mercury. Then came reports that vaccines, like measles and mumps, once thought by science and medicine to provide lifelong immunity were not actually that effective.
So there are legitimate reasons for having concerns about vaccines. But in Texas there was an expression of outrage from the Christian and Political Right that the HPV vaccine would promote sexuality, sexual activity and/or promiscuity. This is the same argument--used by the Christian Right, the Political Right and the absurd--against making condoms available to teens, as well as against the provision of contraceptives to teens to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Let us face some realities. We are sexual beings. As soon as puberty hits our bodies, our hormonal system bursts with chemical signals that urges the body to respond sexually. We have an instinctive drive toward sexuality. For a pubescent child, all that is needed for sexual impulses is the right hormonal releases. Young boys will awaken with obvious signs of arousal, explore the response and find that such stimulation is pleasurable. Young girls, while not having the same external equipment, will have a similar experience. This is the natural course of matters. Then, if parents are not doing their job of caring, training and educating their children on matters of health, morality, ethics and social behaviors--and the vast majority of parents do not do this well--teens are likely to respond to social, media and peer pressures to engage in sexuality.
Let's face more facts: The incident of kids engaging in oral sex in the back of the school bus did not occur because kids received a vaccine, used contraception, or received condoms. In fact, the reported school bus incidents have all had adults present on the bus. Additionally, in self-reporting polls, a third of young teens, between the ages of 13 and 16, are admitting that they are sexually active in some manner. Further, the effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education programs, as well as the so-called "virginity pledges," is at best minimal, and at worst, completely ineffective. In fact, even with attempts by the Bush administration to skew the outcomes by monkeying with the metrics used to assess abstinence-only programs, the validity of this approach is in question.
So when we hear the argument that a vaccine is likely to promote sexuality, sexual activity, and/or sexual promiscuity, we are hearing myths that started with the personality cult edicts of Robertson, Roberts, Swaggart, Hinn, Coulter, LaHaye (both of them), Hatch, Schlafly, Bryant and others with their heads so filled with mythology rather than legitimate theology or a genuine relationship with a loving, caring and personal God... and completely out of touch with human development, society, popular culture, mainstream religion and the verifiable facts of the matter.
While I would support the arguments for not making the vaccine mandatory, because I do not see that such laws are constitutional or legitimate in a free society, and I would support the argument that parents have the right to decide what is in the best medical interests of their children under ordinary circumstances, I cannot support any effort to derail a legitimate public health effort to reduce cancer, especially a cancer so very specific that it only affects women.
There is only so much idiocy we can endure.
REFERENCES:
South Carolina: Teens Admit to Sex on School Bus
Nearly 3 In 10 Young Teens 'Sexually Active'
Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Education Censors Vital Health Care Information, Jeopardizing Teenagers' Health
Governor Perry of Texas has taken a groundbreaking step in public health in requiring the vaccine for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) be administered to all young girls in the sixth grade of all public schools in Texas. This type of public health approach isn't new. In fact, it goes back to the days when people with syphilis could be isolated from the society because of the danger they presented to the world. In fact, the world over, such was the case for anyone contracting leprosy (Hansen's Disease), even back in the days of Jesus Christ.
But vaccines are a source of a lot of controversy. There is a question of whether or not requiring vaccines violates constitutional rights regarding parenting and medical decision-making. Then there are actual questions as to the validity of some vaccines, there effectiveness, and the effect on individuals. The DPT (sometimes called DTP) immunization against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis required for all infants has a history of producing some undesired neurological effects that have been reported to cause permanent problems. Then, too was the issue of Thiomersal, the preservative used in DPT (and other vaccines) that contains a small amount of mercury. Then came reports that vaccines, like measles and mumps, once thought by science and medicine to provide lifelong immunity were not actually that effective.
So there are legitimate reasons for having concerns about vaccines. But in Texas there was an expression of outrage from the Christian and Political Right that the HPV vaccine would promote sexuality, sexual activity and/or promiscuity. This is the same argument--used by the Christian Right, the Political Right and the absurd--against making condoms available to teens, as well as against the provision of contraceptives to teens to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Let us face some realities. We are sexual beings. As soon as puberty hits our bodies, our hormonal system bursts with chemical signals that urges the body to respond sexually. We have an instinctive drive toward sexuality. For a pubescent child, all that is needed for sexual impulses is the right hormonal releases. Young boys will awaken with obvious signs of arousal, explore the response and find that such stimulation is pleasurable. Young girls, while not having the same external equipment, will have a similar experience. This is the natural course of matters. Then, if parents are not doing their job of caring, training and educating their children on matters of health, morality, ethics and social behaviors--and the vast majority of parents do not do this well--teens are likely to respond to social, media and peer pressures to engage in sexuality.
Let's face more facts: The incident of kids engaging in oral sex in the back of the school bus did not occur because kids received a vaccine, used contraception, or received condoms. In fact, the reported school bus incidents have all had adults present on the bus. Additionally, in self-reporting polls, a third of young teens, between the ages of 13 and 16, are admitting that they are sexually active in some manner. Further, the effectiveness of abstinence-only sex education programs, as well as the so-called "virginity pledges," is at best minimal, and at worst, completely ineffective. In fact, even with attempts by the Bush administration to skew the outcomes by monkeying with the metrics used to assess abstinence-only programs, the validity of this approach is in question.
So when we hear the argument that a vaccine is likely to promote sexuality, sexual activity, and/or sexual promiscuity, we are hearing myths that started with the personality cult edicts of Robertson, Roberts, Swaggart, Hinn, Coulter, LaHaye (both of them), Hatch, Schlafly, Bryant and others with their heads so filled with mythology rather than legitimate theology or a genuine relationship with a loving, caring and personal God... and completely out of touch with human development, society, popular culture, mainstream religion and the verifiable facts of the matter.
While I would support the arguments for not making the vaccine mandatory, because I do not see that such laws are constitutional or legitimate in a free society, and I would support the argument that parents have the right to decide what is in the best medical interests of their children under ordinary circumstances, I cannot support any effort to derail a legitimate public health effort to reduce cancer, especially a cancer so very specific that it only affects women.
There is only so much idiocy we can endure.
REFERENCES:
South Carolina: Teens Admit to Sex on School Bus
Nearly 3 In 10 Young Teens 'Sexually Active'
Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Education Censors Vital Health Care Information, Jeopardizing Teenagers' Health
posted by Jim Downey at 9:52 AM
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