Not always red; sometimes it's black; and at the moment what I'm getting is a particular sort of icky purple, shot through with the iridescent and flickering green sheen one associates with rotting meat ...
Ahem. In a post by Tigtog at Larvatus Prodeo and at her own place Hoyden-About-Town, I see that today in Edinburg -- that's Edinburg, Texas, without an H (although apparently, similar sentiments are also being expressed in Scotland) -- parents are solemnly discussing whether or not the protection of their daughters from cervical cancer is a desirable thing, given that, as we all know, having S-E-X would of course be much worse:
' ... several Rio Grande Valley residents appear wary of the Gardasil vaccine, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved to prevent four types of the sexually-transmitted human papillomavirus. Two of those strains cause cervical cancer.
The controversy stems from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation to vaccinate females between 11 and 12 years of age.
Doctors and scientists insist the vaccine is best given before a female is sexually active. But some conservative groups — and local parents — worry providing Gardasil to adolescents would encourage sexual experimentation.
"If you’re going to give the vaccine, you could promote the attitude ‘Well, now it’s safe; I can have sex as much as I want,’" said Nancy Balsadua, chairwoman of the sexual subcommittee of the Edinburg School Health Advisory Council.
"It’s giving the attitude sex is carte-blanche," said Balsadua, whose youngest of four children, Rebecca, is 12 years old.'
Damn straight. And if they do get cancer of the cervix, that'll just be God's punishment for having sex, and it will serve them right.
In 1999 I lost a friend to secondary tumours after her initial struggle with cervical cancer the previous year. She was 46 years old, and her kids were fifteen and thirteen. And if I ever get my hands on any of the people who peddle this demented crapola about green lights and cartes blanches and opening floodgates, I won't be responsible for my actions.
8 comments:
This is one thing guaranteed to light my wick. The best thing to stop teens being sexually active is to give them too much information. A big box containing spermacide jelly, condoms, pictures of STI's and lots of info on HIV as well. Information is good health not promiscuity. Stupid bitches. Is that too strong, I could have made it stronger.
Wow, I gotta get me some Gardasil!
I've been putting off having sex for fear of 4 strains of the human papillomavirus!
I mean, one time, at high school, they put condom machines in the girls' toilets and I knew then that God wanted me to have sex with EVERYONE! But they took them out after a couple of weeks and after that my urges disappeared.
Then, someone said 'sex' in a classroom, which I took to be equivalent to sex education, and then everyone was at it like rabbits.
But then, I found out that whilst the age of consent for straight people is 16, by law, lesbian sex doesn't even exist, so I stopped thinking about it all together.
These concerned parents you speak of sure know how teh kids think, PC.
Just being shown Where Did I Come From in primary school put me off sex for years.
I agree, lots of information, lots of gnarly photos: pictures of warts, poxes, slime, pus, even goddamn wet patches. Pictures of actual tufty genitals unretouched. Paris Hilton at the STD clinic. More more more will guarantee less less less. Or at least safe safe safe.
This gets my blood boiling too. Good post.
Of course those parents are idiots.
Now we have established that fact - I'm concerned that this is part of the beat up from the drug company pushing the vaccine. The product has not been tested widely, we don't know how protective it really is, for how long and if there are any side effects. Even if it does deliver everything it promises without a down side - what other viruses also contribute to cervical cancer?
A cheap and more effective answer would get everyone back on the condom bandwagon. Imagine this - a simple measure that is the most effective thing we have against both unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and keeps our cervix protected at the same time!
We are not giving kids the message that sex is good, but more that sex is 'safe' with this vaccine - and that just aint so.
Well that's my 2 cents worth for the day :)
Sex is good - whether or not you tell your teenagers this or not - they ARE going to figure that one out for themselves. But yes! Give them every bit of information - access to cheap or free information! The education is far more valuable than the latest "ring tone" that they can find quickly.
I think the vaccine is a marvellous step! More people figuring out this stuff. And if it can save one woman from cervical cancer... how wonderful.
I can't imagine any teenager who for one moment would decide not to have sex because of the small possibility they might get cervical cancer 20 odd years later.
It's hard to imagine people could be so naive about teenagers and sex (quite apart from the ridiculous punishing girls for promiscuity thing).
And I'm so sorry about your friend.
The product has not been tested widely, we don't know how protective it really is, for how long and if there are any side effects. Even if it does deliver everything it promises without a down side - what other viruses also contribute to cervical cancer?[snip sensible recommendation of continuing condom use]
The problem with HPV is that it can be easily transmitted with "fooling around" rather than PIV sex, so condoms don't offer complete protection against it. As to its effectiveness, the researchers reckon that the strains of HIV protected against are the strains that cause 80% of cases if cervical cancer, so it certainly offers a much reduced risk to those who take it.
We need to inoculate the boys too, however. Then they won't be passing it on to future partners either.
I forgot - Jahteh, Ampersand Duck - my dad was the bloke showing Where Did I come From for the kiddies and doing the demos for older students of boxes of contraceptives and icky STD photos.
Made sure I was the oldest WASP virgin at my high school, definitely!
Post a Comment