The Vaccination Controversy Continues
I had no idea I was so controversial, but wow! Over at Weary Parent, we’ve been having an ongoing debate about whether the fast-spreading state mandates for the recently approved HPV vaccine Gardasil is a good idea. Responses have ranged from unmitigated support to moral outrage. Apparently I’m somewhere in the middle, which, it seems, is just as controversial as either of the extremes.
The debate has also carried over to Angela’s Herpes Simplex Help blog, where she and I are having a side discussion in which we both keep repeating ourselves with increasing degrees of urgency. Truly, we’re brilliant.
The folks who’ve thrown their two cents out there have had a heck of a lot to say. But the thing that blows my mind is that so few people have weighed in on this issue! We’re talking about women’s health here. We’re talking about your health, my health, your daughter’s/sister’s/cousin’s/best friend’s health. We’re talking about the health of women who haven’t yet been born. Educate yourself. Get informed, and speak up. This affects all of us, and now is no time to be shy.
Tags: annual-exam, Awareness, Cancer, Gardasil, gynecologic-cancer, gynecologist, gyno, Health, mandate, Merck, PMS, Prevention, require, Texas, vaccine, weary-parent, woman, women, Womens-HealthRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Body, Cancer, Health, Parenting, Prevention, Public policy, Real life, Wellness, Women's Issues
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7 opinions for The Vaccination Controversy Continues
Char
Feb 27, 2007 at 3:10 am
Kristen - Thanks for continuing the discussion here! The more information, discussion, insight, etc we can get, the better decisions we can all make.
Kristen King
Feb 27, 2007 at 3:23 am
You are so welcome! This really is a critical issue, and women need to get informed and make smart choices here.
kk
Gayla
Feb 27, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Kristen ~ I agree with Char. Good or Bad, I don’t care really, just keep talking about it. The more people hear about the topic the less of a threat the actual words become.
I’ve been living with herpes for nearly 10 years now. And HPV for nearly 12. Contracted both during my marriage to a less then faithful husband. Had my doctor informed me as to WHAT HPV really was then, I would have known what he was doing and never stayed for round two!
At the time I was diagnosed, I knew SO little about the virus. I felt dirty - I didn’t want to live! I felt like I would feel THAT pain every single day for the rest of my life. BOY was I wrong!
Immediately after diagnosis, I remembered my grandma nearly yanking my arm off as a 6-year-old who was about to sit on a public toilet. She screamed “Don’t sit down YOU’LL GET Herpes!”
BOY was she WRONG!
The fact was, I was IGNORANT to the viruses! I found myself thrust in a world of abusive relationships because I felt I didn’t deserve better.
Now, TODAY, I want more for young women who are getting diagnosed. I want them to know they can have a very happy and NORMAL Life! I want them to know they have at least one or two people who care when they’re so afraid each year that it “may come back.”
If I had my way, I’d never have another woman or young girl go through where I’ve been. It’s terrifying and definitely NOT something you can talk to your close friends and family about.
The Vaccination doesn’t just prevent HPV and Cervical Cancer - IT prevents depression, isolation and destructive behavior.
I’d like to end this comment with a question I posted on Weary Parent - something to REALLY think about…
IF this were a vaccination for breast cancer, would you feel differently?
Kristen King
Feb 27, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Gayla, I already responded to this at Weary Parent, but I think it warrants repeating! It’s such a great question.
For me, this isn’t a moral issue — it’s a medical one. If it were a breast cancer vaccine and it were being mandated in the same way that the HPV vaccine is, I truly believe my objections would be the same. In the big picture, though, I think that would change a lot of reactions.
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