Gardisil: Cervical Cancer Vaccine or Another Reason for Promiscuity?

Gardasil has been touted as a ground-breaking vaccine which will prevent cervical cancer, and thus spare the lives of women who could contract, and die from, the disease. The talk about this vaccine has reached such a frenzy that lobbyists have been working to make receiving this vaccine mandatory for girls aged 11 and 12 in the United States. Furthermore, approximately 20 states have already introduced legislation which would prevent teen aged girls from attending a public school unless they have received the three-round vaccination. The drug company, Merck & Co., as well as the media and many physicians have come out in support of this vaccine because they claim it will save lives of women who are at risk for cervical cancer.

What many of the television and magazine advertisements do not put in bold print, is that the vaccine is not one which prevents cervical cancer itself. Instead, Gardasil is formulated to prevent two strains of the Human Papyllomavirus, which is a sexually transmitted disease. It just so happens that HPV is the root cause of approximately 70% of cervical cancer cases.

When people hear the word "vaccination" they immediately deduce that it is a drug that will prevent a harmful, catching disease. Rightly so, for required vaccinations have been limited to those diseases which can be spread through casual contact with others. Never before have lawmakers considered making a vaccination mandatory for a disease that is contracted by a deliberate, willful decision of an individual.

The Sexually Transmitted Disease is not one which can be obtained by simply brushing up against or drinking from the same cup as an infected person. Rather, the person who contracts an STD makes a choice that they are going to have sex, often times unprotected, with another person. They take the chance that their sexual partner has not had sex with others who have been exposed to STDs themselves. This, in reality, is a large guess. Perhaps their sexual partner has never been exposed to herpes, HIV, gonorrhea or HPV, but perhaps he has. Promiscuous, pre-marital sex has consequences. As much as our culture wants to look the other way and fears being considered "intolerant" by expecting that young women reserve sex for marriage, our society has reached a breaking point.

We must decide, does the government have the authority to require girls to receive vaccinations that might protect them from their own sexually promiscuous, downright dangerous behavior? If the answer is yes, then the government can go ahead and legislate further requirements for the people of our country. Why not force 11 and 12 year old girls go on the pill? Why not make 12 year old boys carry condoms? After all, a pre-teen never knows when the urge to have sex might come on. We ought not teach these children to have self-control or consider their actions before thy jump into bed with another adolescent. Rather, let's enable them to participate in their self-destructive behavior. Let's even condone and encourage it by "protecting" them from cancer in the process.

We are approaching a dangerous cliff in this country. Soon we will go one step too far and tumble down into the valley of decay, degradation and despair, all in the name of "protection", "tolerance" and "love". We are a nation full of hypocrites. We say we want to protect young girls from contracting and dying of the dreaded disease of cervical cancer. So how do we help them? Do we teach them moral behaviors that will mold them as a person of good character, health and influence? No, that takes too much work and parental responsibility. Rather, we put a band-aid on the green, pussing, gangrenous wound of pre-marital sex and say that we have done our part.