(no subject)

[sethrak]

Huzzah! The FDA finnaly approved the HPV vaccine! It's about time they quit listening to people of.... certain political views.... whine and snivel over how saving women from cervical cancer was going to open the floodgates of teen promiscuity.

Story in the NYTimes online here: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/09/health/09vaccine.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&th&emc=th You may have to register to read it. Doesn't take long.

Quote from the final paragraph, italics mine:
"Merck had originally hoped to get the vaccine approved for use in boys. But although women have routinely allowed swabs to be taken of their vaginal cells, the company found that men rebelled against the use of emery boards to collect cells from their penises. Researchers eventually discovered that jeweler's-grade emery paper effectively removed cells without alarming men and were able to complete their studies."

::tries to suppress a giggle:: Gee, I wonder why? Getting pried open and swabbed is bad enough. I can't imagine having emery boards applied to something that delicate.

Comments

[frail-obscurity.livejournal.com]

I haven't been following this story very closely so that comes as a surprise to me: people were objective to a cancer vaccine because it would encourage teenage sex? What the hell? That's just insane. Teenagers who want to have sex are going to. I can't believe some people actually think otherwise. But to deny people a treatment to a painful and mortal disease to maintain their ignorance? Man. Takes all kinds.

Also, the very thought of emery boards makes me shiver in a very unpleasant way. Ggh. ^^

[sethrak.livejournal.com]

Well, the virus in question is transmitted sexually. If you're a 'good' little girl and stay a virgin until marriage, the way certain religious and political groups want, your odds of getting it are drastically reduced. But if you get vaccinated, watch out! Teens will start having promiscious sex left and right with no thought of consequences! Run for your rosaries people!

Nevermind that the most chaste girl in the world can still choose a husband who may have fooled around a bit as a young man, or who may cheat on her, thus exposing her to the virus through no fault of her own... These people aren't too big on logic.



My only regret is that it doesn't work on women who may have already been exposed to the virus, so I can't get the shot and skip out on Pap smears for the rest of my life. Ah well. If we ever have a daughter, she's getting the vaccine, even if I have to pay for it out of my own pocket. Cervical cancer is no joke.

[drakstern.livejournal.com]

...

ow...

owowowwww...

Just the idea of it... cheerist...

Also, yay! Effective vaccines are a plus!

Anyhow, back to cringing...