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Topic: Religious Right Say Improper Sex Should Result in Cervical Cancer Resist Vaccine (Read 612 times) |
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Hermit
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Religious Right Say Improper Sex Should Result in Cervical Cancer Resist Vaccine
« on: 2006-06-08 02:47:13 » |
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Evangelicals And Some Creepy Guy Named Doctor Finger Try To Stifle Cancer Vaccine
[Hermit: And these idiots claim to be pro-life? Somebody should tell the National Abstinence Clearinghouse that 'proper' sex is always indecent, i.e. When it is in good, in tight and in deep, then it is in decent -- and see if they implode. Interesting Site BTW ]
Source: Evangelical Right
Authors: Not Credited
Dated: 2006-06-07
Late last month a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel unanimously recommended approval of a vaccine for the human papilloma virus (HPV). The vaccine appears to be 100 percent effective at protecting against the most prevalent viruses that cause cervical cancer. While public health professionals view the vaccine as miraculous, many conservative organizations opposed it on the grounds that it might encourage promiscuity among adolescent girls. Now that it appears certain that the FDA will approve the vaccine, conservatives are attempting to discourage its use...
Despite the benefits of the vaccine, conservative organizations began to rally against it last year. One of the most vocal opponents was the Family Research Council. The council “promotes the Judeo-Christian worldview as the basis for a just, free, and stable society.” Last October the council’s president, Tony Perkins, spoke decidedly against the vaccine. Mr. Perkins proclaimed, “Our concern is that this vaccine will be marketed to a segment of the population that should be getting a message about abstinence. It sends the wrong message.” He even stated that he would not vaccinate his 13-year-old daughter.
Another organization that promotes abstinence is the Physicians Consortium. The head of the consortium, Dr. Hal Wallis, was also critical. In his opinion, “If you don’t want to suffer these diseases, you need to abstain, and when you find a partner, stick with that partner.” The founder of the National Abstinence Clearinghouse also opposed the vaccine. This organization was formed “to promote the appreciation for and practice of sexual abstinence (purity) until marriage.” Leslee Unruh, the organization’s founder, stated firmly, “I personally object to vaccinating children against a disease that is 100 percent preventable with proper sexual behavior...”
In 2003 President Bush appointed a medical doctor, Reginald Finger, to the ACIP. Until last fall, Dr. Finger was also the medical affairs analyst for Focus on the Family, the nation’s largest and most powerful evangelical Christian organization. In an effort to gain the support of this group, Merck has been forced to aggressively lobby Focus. Merck has admitted to holding numerous meetings with Dr. Finger at Focus’ headquarters. It’s troubling that a vaccine manufacturer has to be concerned with securing the backing of a conservative Christian organization. And Merck will likely have an uphill battle.
Although children are required to have various vaccinations before attending public schools, conservatives are against the ACIP recommending this for the HPV vaccine. The Christian Medical & Dental Associations is an organization that “exists to glorify God by advancing Biblical principles in bioethics and health to the Church and society.” The group’s executive director, Dr. Gene Rudd, has stated, “While accepting HPV vaccine is morally acceptable, it should not be mandatory.”
And the Family Research Council has gone even farther. While testifying before an ACIP conference the council’s spokesman informed the ACIP that, [color=red]“Because parents have an inherent right to be the primary educator and decision maker regarding their children’s health, we would oppose any measures to legally require vaccination. There is no justification for any vaccination mandate as a condition of public school attendance.”[color=red] And Focus on the Family issued a formal statement declaring that it “supports widespread (universal) availability of HPV vaccines but opposes mandatory HPV vaccinations for entry to public school.”
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With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion. - Steven Weinberg, 1999
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Blunderov
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"We think in generalities, we live in details"
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Re:Religious Right Say Improper Sex Should Result in Cervical Cancer Resist Vacc
« Reply #1 on: 2006-06-08 13:34:18 » |
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Quote:[quote Mr. Perkins proclaimed, “Our concern is that this vaccine will be marketed to a segment of the population that should be getting a message about abstinence. It sends the wrong message.” He even stated that he would not vaccinate his 13-year-old daughter.
Another organization that promotes abstinence is the Physicians Consortium. The head of the consortium, Dr. Hal Wallis, was also critical. In his opinion, “If you don’t want to suffer these diseases, you need to abstain, and when you find a partner, stick with that partner.”
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[Blunderov] The huge hidden assumption is that women are always morally responsible for everything sexual that happens to them. A strangley Islamic notion, and not in a good way.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=2053572&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
Tragic Cancer Death at Age 28 -- New Vaccine Could Spare Others
June 8, 2006— When Sara Lyle and Heather Martin met as freshman in high school, they became instant friends and imagined they would remain so well into their golden years.
"A mutual friend of ours introduced us, and we hit it off right away," Lyle said. "She was just so positive and upbeat, and such a real joy to be around."
But the friends' time together was cut short in 2005 when Heather died of cervical cancer at the age of 28.
"The cancer progressed so rapidly and she got so sick so fast," Lyle said. "She did one round of chemo and one round of radiation. Unfortunately, it did not work."
A Cancer Vaccine
The human papillomavirus — HPV — causes about 70 percent of cervical cancer. Worldwide about 500,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed, and nearly 300,0000 women die from it every year, according to the American Cancer Society.
While it is too late for Heather, there is hope for other young women. Today the Food and Drug Administration approved Gardasil, the first vaccine for HPV.
"There's huge excitement in the medical community," said ABC News' medical editor Dr. Tim Johnson.
In addition to cervical cancer, HPV can cause vulvar and vaginal cancer, abnormal pap smears, contamination of the birth canal and genital warts for both men and women.
"The excitement about this vaccine is that it will greatly reduce the risk for all of these problems," Johnson said.
Johnson said the next step is for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's advisory committee on immunization practices to make recommendations on how and when the vaccine will be used.
"Medically speaking, it is clear it would best be given to very young girls before they become sexually active, even if they intend to be abstinent," Johnson said. "When they get married, their husband might infect them because it is widely transmitted from men to women."
Some groups say requiring young girls to be vaccinated against HPV infringes on rights of parents.
Getting vaccinated later in life isn't necessarily futile.
(Page 2 of 2)
"I think it would work," Johnson said. "It's only been tested so far in women ages 16 to 26, but I do think there will be a place for it in older women who have not become infected."
The vaccine could even help men, who can get genital warts from HPV.
"There are 20 million Americans, man and women infected who pass it back and forth during sexual activity," Johnson said. "I suspect we'll be recommending it for men and maybe even young boys."
Johnson said the biggest benefit of the vaccine may be seen in underdeveloped countries where regular pap smears and follow-ups are not common.
Ending the Heartbreak
Martin told her friend she did go for regular pap smears.
"It was a priority for her," Lyle said. "When she went to the doctor, the women who was examining her freaked out a little bit and said, 'Oh my God, oh my God.' And Heather said, 'What's wrong, what's going on? And the woman said, 'I can't see your cervix, it's obscured by some mass.'"
Martin was diagnosed with cervical cancer in mid May 2005. She began chemotherapy and radiation treatments in August, but they were unsuccessful. The cancer spread to Martin's lungs and she died on December 7, 2005.
"We all took our turns saying goodbye," Lyle said. "I just told her I was so happy that I had the time with her that I did, and that it was OK for her to go. It was OK for her to leave."
Lyle hopes the new vaccine will prevent others from losing friends to cervical cancer.
"I keep thinking about her and everything that's been happening, more people talking about cervical cancer and the link with HPV and now the new vaccine," Lyle said. "I don't know if it has anything to do with Heather's story, but I know that it would make her really happy that people are aware of the dangers of the disease and that women need to be vigilant about their own health, that you have to get tested because you might not have symptoms, you might not have symptoms for a really long time.
"I do miss her a lot."
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