Posted on 11/01/2007 11:02:48 AM PDT by vadum
Parents believe they have the right to decide what medical treatments are best for their children. But state lawmakers think otherwise because of a disease that has become both a feminist and a public health cause celebre. Across America lawmakers want to compel young girls to be inoculated against human papillomavirus (HPV) years before most become sexually active because there is a chance it can cause cervical cancer. Is replacing parental judgment with mandates by lawmakers and courts good for society?......
Legislators in at least 41 states and the District of Columbia have introduced legislation to require, fund or educate the public about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. At least 17 states have enacted various HPV measures. The D.C. city council approved an HPV vaccine mandate in April, but council members who took office after the bill was approved are trying to repeal it......
Some conservatives and parents’ rights groups say requiring the vaccine will encourage premarital sex. Moira Gaul of the Family Research Council said her group opposes HPV mandates “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 or to coerce parents into authorizing it. Because the cancer causing strains of HPV are not transmitted through casual contact, there is no justification for any vaccination mandate as a condition of public school attendance.”......
State legislatures continue to consider mandatory HPV vaccination bills that intrude on parental rights. Merck’s lobbying efforts are a big part of that campaign. But last February after news reports that Merck was funneling money to an organization called Women in Government (WIG) to serve as the principal advocate for the legislation, the company publicly announced that it would no longer advocate for the mandate......
(Excerpt) Read more at capitalresearch.org ...
“What causes squamous cells or glandular cells to become abnormal and develop into cancer isn’t clear. However, it’s certain that the sexually transmitted infection called human papillomavirus (HPV) plays a role. Evidence of HPV is found in nearly all cervical cancers. However, HPV is a very common virus and most women with HPV never develop cervical cancer. This means other risk factors, such as your genetic makeup, your environment or your lifestyle choices, also determine whether you’ll develop cervical cancer.”
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cervical-cancer/DS00167/DSECTION=3
HPV has been proven conclusively to cause cervical cancer. Not only has the causal relationship been established, but the strains of the virus which cause the cancer have been identified. The entire process is not entirely understood but HPV produces proteins that interfere with the production of p53, which is a human produced protein which prevents the growth of tumors.
I agree with you about the mandate, it's just too sensitive an issue. But I urge everyone with eligible daughters to get vaccinated ( I have sons only). I'm tired of diagnosing cervical cancer.
Plenty on these threads say such requirements are a license to be sexually active at a young age. Ridiculous. Sexual activity among teenagers has been fairly consistent at around 50% no matter who's in office. Rapes happen too. I would want to know I'd done what I could to protect my daughter from a (now) easily preventable cancer and STI. It's one part of what a parent does.
Reasoned people know everything carries risk. Some folks will be allergic to a medication like penicillin, some to a food like peanuts.
In China they do it all the time, things like 'compelled' abortion and involuntary organ donation. The rights of the state supersede that of the individual, you know. /sarc off
Hillary is running for President in the wrong country. She wants all the rights while we have none. But we'll have "free" health care, right? And with that free health care comes involuntary abortion and organ donation, just to name a few things...
The whole notion that vaccination would encourage teenage sex makes no sense. Awareness of HPV among teens is virtually non-existent. Fear of HPV isn’t stopping anyone from doing anything, so the vaccine should have no effect on behavior.
Exactly the point. It should be up to the child's parents whether or not she is vaccinated. The state should keep their nose out of it.
Exactly the point. It should be up to the child's parents whether or not she is vaccinated. The state should keep their nose out of it.
But the evaluation should be based on the facts, not unsubstantiated scare stories and misinformation.
Why on earth do they make this sound as if it was such a bad thing?
Is it possible that you can get HPV from say, a public toilet? Because that is the only justification, in my opinion, for the public at large to be vaccinated against it, if it is that contagious (like measles, chicken pox etc.)
I understand that people have their own personal ideas about medicine and science. I am just amazed at how many of them can’t settle for making their own medical decisions, and try to influence others by making up information that isn’t truthful.
George Soros is despicable, but he isn’t pushing this vaccine, the manufacturer is. HillaryCare is a scary thing, but she isn’t the one suggesting that this vaccine be required in several states. Someone even stated that there isn’t anything that proves HPV even causes cervical cancer???
Cervical cancer is a bad thing. It kills people. There is a need for people to have facts and information on what causes it and how it can be prevented. Conservatives are the ones that make solid decisions based upon factual information. Liberals are the ones that make knee-jerk decisions based upon liberal propaganda. You would never know that from this thread.
I very much appreciate your sane and rational contributions to this thread.
“But the evaluation should be based on the facts, not unsubstantiated scare stories and misinformation.”
Thank you for your comments and for you work with those who have cervical cancer.
If HPV is a very common virus, what good would a vaccine be to try and prevent it? Am I missing something here?
HPV is generally transmitted through sexual contact. If vaccinated before you become sexually active, you will not get the virus. This will prevent the occurance of cervical cancer.
Now if most, but not all women with cervical cancer had HPV, how is HPV the major contributor ???
Mathmatically it just dont add up. Is there something Im missing in the biology of, it or a combination of factors WITH HPV, or ???
Maybe I just dont have much faith in buerocrats that would trade my daughters health for a few $$$, or in drugs that are so heavily promoted with what appears to be so little long term testing...
There are many other factors involved in cervical cancer, however, if HPV is not present, the cancer will not develope. remnants of HPV are found in almsost all cervical cancer lesions. HPV, like many viruses can remain dormant in the body for many years, and has no noticeable symptoms so it is more difficult to treat than it is to prevent. That is why the vaccination for HPV prevents cervical cancer.
There could definately be more testing, and I can’t argue with distrust of government bureaucrats, but this vaccination is a good thing. The early results are good, and the safety of the vaccine is actually higher than for many other vaccines. It should not be given to pregnant women and should not be mandatory, but I believe it to be safe and effective.
thanks for the reply, my girl just turned one last weekend, so Ive got a while to see longer term study...
I assume you also believe that a mere 9 Kilobase, harmless, ubiquitous retrovirus causes 40 separate diseases based on it's ability to kill t-cells (HIV is actually grown in a t-cell culture line - which is immortal!). Believe whatever you want. The mere fact that scientists clearly developed, believed, bought into, and proposed in literature the incorrect fact that the herpes virus caused CC clearly shows that you'll believe anything!
Yes, the Natural Family Blog is no more, but I will leave it archived for a while. It was a true labor of love and I wish I had the time to continue.
Its nice to see another natural momma who is a freeper! I’m assuming you are a mom if you go to LLL and MDC.
Take Care!
Jenny
those deaths are their acceptable loss factor.
that baby will have separation issues for most of his life. He also won’t know why he feels that way.
that whole situation is wrong.
I don’t know what assertion you are saying is not correct. 12,000 malignancies is not a good thing, whether you believe it is rare or not. This represents 12,000 mothers, sisters, wives and friends that are diagnosed with a life threatening disease and must undergo sometimes debilitating chemo and radiation treatments.
HPV is not the only factor in the development of cervical cancer, there are lifestyle, environmental and genetic factors that contribute to the disease. HPV is the common denominator, and it is found in almost all cervical lesions. Without the HPV, the cancer doesn’t develope. That is why the focus on HPV vaccination.
HIV doesn’t have anything to do with this, and I am having a hard time following your logic. I also don’t follow your logic on the herpes virus. So what if some scientist several years ago believed another virus caused cervical cancer. Does that mean that any future scientific research should be disregarded? The link between HPV and cervical cancer is well established, not in one study, but several.
Saying I will believe anything is not true. I don’t believe that you know anything about HPV, or medical research in general.
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