Required STD shots worry some parents

[Mrs Behavin]

AUSTIN, Texas - Some conservatives and parents’ rights groups worry that requiring girls to get vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer would condone premarital sex and interfere with the way they raise their children.
By using an executive order that bypassed the Legislature, Republican Gov. Rick Perry — himself a conservative — on Friday avoided such opposition, making Texas the first state to mandate that schoolgirls get vaccinated against the virus.
Beginning in September 2008, girls entering the sixth grade will have to receive Gardasil, Merck & Co.’s new vaccine against strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV.

Required STD shots worry some parents - Kids & Parenting - MSNBC.com

 

[Bagel]

its a vaccination... to prevent your kid from gettigna deisease that can cause cancer..the school is requiring it... ok.. 1. yes vaccination is good hting..s chool requiring it is a bit ..off.. any required vaccination means havign to pay for it..if you dotn ahve med insurance thats a bitch

 

[andcuriouser]

I don't even understand why anyone would oppose that sort of thing...

 

[andcuriouser]

its a vaccination... to prevent your kid from gettigna deisease that can cause cancer..the school is requiring it... ok.. 1. yes vaccination is good hting..s chool requiring it is a bit ..off.. any required vaccination means havign to pay for it..if you dotn ahve med insurance thats a bitch

Read the article. The school doesn't require it, it just makes it available. Parents are allowed to opt out. And it's free. They're making it so that girls between certain ages can get it free, insurance or not.

 

[Bagel]

its the same reason tehy oppesed sex ed in the old days..they thinkt hat its gonan make the kids think they are free to go have sex with everybody..paranoid parents... if you take an active role in yoru childs life and teach them hte ramifications of sex at that age you wouldnt hav to worry... blah..

 

[Eridanus]

The vaccine is a good thing.

Here in Australia we have been hearing a great deal of the vaccine over the last 12 months as it was the pioneering research of Professor Ian Frazer from the University of Queensland's Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research (CICR) that led to the development of the vaccine.


The Australian government has already funded and ready to implement a distribution program of Gardasil under the National Immunisation Program, commencing in the 2007 school year, for three cohorts:

• An ongoing target group of 12 and 13 year old girls in a school-based program, generally delivered in the first year of high school
• A catch-up group of 13-18 year old girls in a largely school-based program.
• A further catch-up group of women up to and including 26 years of age in a community-based program generally delivered through general practice.

 

[Bagel]

i think its awesoem personally that we can find vaccines for stuff liek this.. medical science FTW

 

[Butterfly]

I think people are way too closed minded for their children's own good. Just because she has a vaccine that could potentially save her life, does not mean a girl will become promiscuous! Does giving a measles vaccine mean your 4 year old is going to hang out with kids sick with measles?

As Bagel said... if you educate your kids about sex and it's consequenses, and you take an active interest in their lives... you have nothing to fear. And odds are, if a girl was going to sleep around, she'd do it wether she's had the vaccine or not. Fear of STDs has never really stopped premarital/teen sex in it's tracks.

 

[Charmer]

Bagel and Butterfly are right. Since the word "sex" is associated with the vaccine, parents freak and don't actually look at the whole article, pamphlet, information, etc. Kids have to go through alot of vaccines as they're growing up; what's one more shot?

 

[Eridanus]

I think people are way too closed minded for their children's own good. Just because she has a vaccine that could potentially save her life, does not mean a girl will become promiscuous! Does giving a measles vaccine mean your 4 year old is going to hang out with kids sick with measles?

As Bagel said... if you educate your kids about sex and it's consequenses, and you take an active interest in their lives... you have nothing to fear. And odds are, if a girl was going to sleep around, she'd do it wether she's had the vaccine or not. Fear of STDs has never really stopped premarital/teen sex in it's tracks.

Well said!

 

[Ria]

I agree - this can only be a good, positive thing.

Whether teens are going to be premiscious or not, the vaccine will help.

Even parents who do fully inform their children of sex, the pros and cons etc, a child can still end up being premiscious, no matter what.

It seems a good thing to be made available as far as I can see.

Is it only for girls though?

Living over here, I haven't seen the article, so don't know.

It should be made possible for boys too.

I think that as long as things are explained to the girls that this is not necessarily a 100% barrier against STD's and to still be safe, then what else can parents/schools/Dr's do?

 

[Eridanus]

I agree - this can only be a good, positive thing.

Whether teens are going to be premiscious or not, the vaccine will help.

Even parents who do fully inform their children of sex, the pros and cons etc, a child can still end up being premiscious, no matter what.

It seems a good thing to be made available as far as I can see.

Is it only for girls though?

Living over here, I haven't seen the article, so don't know.

It should be made possible for boys too.

I think that as long as things are explained to the girls that this is not necessarily a 100% barrier against STD's and to still be safe, then what else can parents/schools/Dr's do?

This is a vaccine against a specifc array of HPV. The ones commonly associated with cervical cancer. Some are skin contact, some are sexually transmitted. This is for the specific viral group that is the most common cause of cervical cancer. The vaccine is not for immunity against all STD's.

The vaccine wasn't made specifically for females, it was made for HPV, and since it has not been proven to cause cancer in men, there is no reason to urge men to get the vaccine.

 

[Ria]

Sorry, done that a few times now - missed the bit about it referring to cervical cancer - am tired, not reading things properly.

 

[alleycat]

I got that shot last month. It hurts like a mofo!!!! Jezuz!! Was really hard to get also. No one has it.