HPV Vaccine: Mandatory?

[valkyrie]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

I mean . . . it's very similar to why women get breast cancer exams and most men do not - simply put, the danger is much higher for females.

Right -- I agree with this, but the "having something required for one gender but not the other" in the context of health/public school is creepy. To me, this is separate from the "it affects females way more than males" issue.

If the government makes a vaccine mandatory, I'm not sure if there is a better way -- I can't really think of anything else besides some type of "Department of Have you Had Your Shots" (sort of like animal licensing for kids, LOL).

Of course none of this directly affects me in any way, but I strongly believe that medical decisions should be left to the individual.

[PGD-GRAD]

Perhaps this has already been touched upon, but choosing to have sex and having unplanned sex are two different things. Many young people lose their viginity far too early because they were drunk. In fact, many young women end up pregant because they and their partner were consuming alcohol when sex took place. If a pregnancy occurs, then certainly the opportunity for a sexually-transmitted disease is also possible since no protetction was used.

Another threat for young women that few want to talk about is the possibility of rape, either date rape (sex with someone they know) or violent rape by a stranger. In neither case was the case planned, but in both cases no protection would be used. Many young women who are victims of rape were virgins until that time. If this immunization will protect them, then I don't think it's a bad thing.

My daughter is 25 and is currently undergoing the procedure to protect herself in case of an unplanned sexual experience. She is a young professional and indicated that several of her friends have also opted for the vaccine for protection. She graduated from Vandy, works in Nashville, and has always made good decisions. This was entirely her choice, and my wife and I support her fully.

Just this morning I read a news report that Merck, the company that is ultimately responsible for the vaccine, gave a sizeable $$ donation to Texas Governor Perry days before his decision. A coincidence? He swears yes, but who knows with politics the way it is these days? I would like to think he had the best interest of young Texas women at heart, but Texas is so conservative I admit I was shocked when it came out of Texas of all places.