[Libertarianchick]

You left out the other side of the equation: the man.
In this day and age, it is extremely unlikely (5% or less) that a male is a virgin when he marries. If your daughter’s husband has just had one prior girlfriend, she could get it.
She could also be raped.

As a libertarian and a microbiology grad student, I’m very conflicted on mandatory vaccines. It pains me that people think this vaccine is for sluts when HPV is practically normal flora and the death penalty is not a suitable punishment for sex.

[originalbuckeye]

HPV is NOT practically normal flora! It is a virus that is spread through sexual contact. Yes, men can infect unsuspecting women. I guess women had better be more discriminating than to subscribe to the sexual mores of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Sad to say it but the advent of AIDS was helpful in one respect. It reined in some of the women who might have otherwise made unwise decisions. I asked a researcher friend if there is yet a test to determine if a man is infected with HPV. There is an HPV detection test for women using the remainders of the pap test vial. He said that the whole genital area of the man would have to be swabbed and then tested. So I guess women will just have to be very careful, vaccinated or not.

[MortMan]

As a libertarian and a microbiology grad student, I’m very conflicted on mandatory vaccines.

As a microbiology grad student, are you conflicted by the fact that there is no real data regarding the safety or efficacy of the HPV vaccine in prepubescent and pubescent girls?

As an engineer - and a neighbor to Missouri - I say "show me the data".

[metmom]

What’s the alternative? The death penalty for taking the vaccine?

Death is something we all face; we get one per. Nobody is guaranteed a perfect pain and trouble free life.

You shouldn’t have any conflict over this.

There’s no excuse for making it mandatory.

If Merck wants to produce the vaccine and some people of thier own free will want to take it, that’s fine by me. That’s their choice and they may live or die by it, making either decision.

Right now, the death rate and adverse reactions from this vaccine is unacceptable. The Polio vaccine came under fire becuase of one case of polio per million vaccines. This is far worse and I don’t hear the MSM complaining about it.

[WV Mountain Mama]

It seems that many people here seem to forget that the easiest way to detect hpv is through a routine pap smear. According to the CDC’s own website the majority of women who are dying from cervical cancer are not getting a pap smear every year and/or have multiple partners.

Rather than force a vaccine, let’s teach our daughters about how to take care of themselves. A yearly pap smear and breast exam are simple, effective ways for early detection of a broad spectrum of problems with, I daresay, little adverse reactions.

[grellis]

...and the death penalty is not a suitable punishment for sex.

Apart from you, who has used the words "suitable punishment"?

I think most foks on this forum would say, rather, "possible outcome."