Yep, it’s hard to believe. Some members of the religious right are opposing mandatory shots for teenagers to protect them against HPV, a virus that can cause cervical cancer. The Bush administration has put one of these people on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), at the CDC. The theocons don’t want to reduce the chances of getting STDs, because they fear it might make having sex less dangerous – and so encourage more people to be sexually active. I’m not making this up. Cervical cancer kills more than 3,700 women a year. Acquiescing in these deaths is now part of the “culture of life.”
A MICROBICIDE, PLEASE: This is great news for HIV prevention: a promising microbicide gel that women can use to protect themselves from HIV. Readers of this blog will know I’ve long been an advocate of such a prophylaxis, particularly for women who may find themselves unable to force their partner to wear a condom. One further question: could this work for gay men as well? And why has there not been more aggressive research for a microbicide for men?
The Dish 