[BRIEF NOTE] Cancer is God's Work
Oct. 12th, 2005 09:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rfmcdonaldCancer is, as the Wikipedia article says, "a class of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell division and the ability of these cells to invade other tissues, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue (invasion) or by migration of cells to distant sites (metastasis)." By all accounts, cervical cancer is a nasty manifestation of cancer, affecting the organs of the female reproductive system (resources available here at the website of the National Institute of Health), often started by a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, these frequently though not always acquired through sex. Medicine has advanced, but cervical cancer can still kill, especially if it's not caught early.
One might think that the recent development of a vaccine 100% effective against the two major strains of HPV would be universally welcomed. But no, the Religious Right in the United States is opposed. Protecting women against infection by a virus with lethal consequences, you see, could encourage them to be promiscuous. See Family News in Focus:
It's depressing to see that the Religious Right hasn't progressed beyond Jerry Falwell's 1983 praise of HIV/AIDS as divine punishment for sexual transgressions. Then again, even now the Religious Right is doing its best to ensure that some of the people most at risk of HIV/AIDS won't be protected by programs receiving US government funding, acting on the time-honoured principle that babies (preferably white) and mothers (preferably near-virgins) count more than fags and whores. The Religious Right's opposition to the HPV vaccine is inspired by the very same school of thought.
This, incidentally, demonstrates the best reason that I can think of for straights to support gay rights: Our opponents want you dead, too.
One might think that the recent development of a vaccine 100% effective against the two major strains of HPV would be universally welcomed. But no, the Religious Right in the United States is opposed. Protecting women against infection by a virus with lethal consequences, you see, could encourage them to be promiscuous. See Family News in Focus:
But some medical ethicists are saying giving this vaccine to every twelve- year old is across that barrier. Dr. Hal Wallace heads the Physicians Consortium.
"We're going to be sending a message to a lot of kids, I think, that you just take this shot and you can be as sexually promiscuous as you want and it's not going to be a problem, and that's just not true."
Wallis says the vaccine does hold wonderful promise for those who need it.
"I do think that we need to be selectively offering this to patients who are at high risk for HPV infections, but I'm not sure that we are at a point where we can justify universal applications."
It's depressing to see that the Religious Right hasn't progressed beyond Jerry Falwell's 1983 praise of HIV/AIDS as divine punishment for sexual transgressions. Then again, even now the Religious Right is doing its best to ensure that some of the people most at risk of HIV/AIDS won't be protected by programs receiving US government funding, acting on the time-honoured principle that babies (preferably white) and mothers (preferably near-virgins) count more than fags and whores. The Religious Right's opposition to the HPV vaccine is inspired by the very same school of thought.
This, incidentally, demonstrates the best reason that I can think of for straights to support gay rights: Our opponents want you dead, too.
