Fred lambuth - The Battalion

One step forward . . .

Gov. Perry's HPV vaccination mandate is a bad way to push a good idea

By: Amanda Kiser

Posted: 2/23/07

Infecting 6.2 million Americans every year, human papillomavirus (HPV) isn't the most famous sexually transmitted infection in America, but it is certainly the most common. While most of the 30 strains of HPV clear the body without causing symptoms, many Americans infected this year won't be so lucky. Just two strains of HPV cause 70 percent of cervical cancer, which kills 3,700 Americans yearly. Though the prospect of contracting an incurable and potentially deadly infection may still be a terrifyingly feasible nightmare, hope is on the horizon. In June, the FDA approved Gardasil - a vaccine nearly 100 percent effective at blocking the strains of HPV that cause most cervical cancer and genital warts.

As the first cancer vaccination, Gardasil is an amazing medical breakthrough that gives us the opportunity to prevent a serious illness; however, its inception has not been without controversy. Gov. Rick Perry has already issued an executive order requiring the vaccine for schoolgirls, horrifying conservatives and igniting efforts to overturn and illegalize the order. Perry's unilateral and hasty decision was a wrong step in the right direction; and while rushing to mandate the immunization was a mistake, impeding access to it would be unjustifiable and far worse.

As is the case with all non-abstinence efforts to reduce STIs and unintended pregnancies, there are assertions that Gardasil will increase promiscuity.

Dr. Keith Kiser, Class of 1979, gave both of his daughters - myself included - their Gardasil injections. Dr. Kiser believes the vaccine will effectively fight cervical cancer, not increase promiscuity.

"There are so many other diseases you can get through sex that we don't have vaccines for, so it really shouldn't promote promiscuity, since it's only preventing against one thing," he said. Voila, common sense easily invalidates that objection.

In addition to being illogical, this claim insultingly assumes that people don't engage in such behavior only because they fear STIs, though it's far more likely that promiscuity is rare because impersonal, anonymous sex simply doesn't appeal to most people. Like the refusals to teach comprehensive sex education in public schools on the basis that doing so would cause teenagers to have sex, this objection reflects a willingness to influence behavior not by appealing to reason or morality, but by withholding resources and information for individuals' "own good."

At $360 for the series of three shots, Gardasil isn't cheap and opponents are uncomfortable with spending taxpayers' money on STI protection. When one considers that there are 5.5 million new HPV infections every year in America and 9,710 new cases of cervical cancer - internationally, the most common cancer for women - the long-term benefits of eradicating HPV would be well worth the cost of administering the vaccine.

Requiring a vaccine for an STI is a touchy subject, and has many conservatives concerned about parental rights.

"I don't think government should ever presume to know better than parents what to do with children," Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst told the press. While this opinion might cause Dewhurst and his like-minded colleagues to oppose Child Protective Services, it won't cause a problem with Gov. Perry's order, which allows parents to opt out of the immunization.

By bypassing the legislative process in making a controversial decree, Perry shot himself in the foot. Mandating an immunization so soon after its approval is unprecedented and unwise, as there has not been enough time to explain the benefits of the vaccination and of requiring it to the public, who are now likely to reject it.

Despite Perry's blundering effort to institutionalize the administration of this immunization, it is still important for girls to be inoculated. Most insurance providers are now covering Gardasil, so if you have insurance, get to your doctor. If you're one of the 46 million Americans living without insurance, Governor Perry's executive order also provides the vaccination for many low-income and uninsured women; you might qualify. Or, put that health services fee to good use and give A.P. Beutel Health Center a call. HPV is a devastating disease; you owe it to yourself to make every effort to stay safe.