According to this article in the Washington Post, Maryland supports vaccinating middle school age girls with a drug to significantly fight cervical cancer.
I think it is great. Trouble is, the opposition. Look at this paragraph:
Attempts to make vaccination mandatory have been criticized by groups concerned about encouraging promiscuity or infringing on parents’ authority over their daughters’ health care. Some oppose such efforts because of health worries about vaccines in general. But many health advocates, among others, support the idea.
Would you look at that? Encouraging promiscuity. What nonsense! They only say this because the subject is sort of sexual. If it were about anything else, they wouldn’t worry about what may or may not be encouraged. Furthermore, how many girls do you know who decline sex for no other reason than “I don’t want cervical cancer!”? Between the choice of your daughter dying from cancer or having sex, why in the WORLD would these people choose the former?!
Also, let’s look at the other reason mentioned. Parents’ authority over their daughters’ health care. The words turn my stomach. They’re acting like this is any different from the myriad of other vaccinations you must have by certain grades. Not to mention it gives the most likely accurate impression of parents having much more of a say in their daughter’s medical care than the daughter herself. Doesn’t matter that it is her body. Just as long as they can continue to assert their dominance over their young, humanoid property, right?
You could argue requiring vaccinations is a youth rights issue in and of itself. I don’t know. It’s more of a public health issue to prevent epidemics. Of course, now that I think about it, cervical cancer isn’t exactly contagious. Unless the girl is promiscuous, I suppose. Funny how that works out. In that case, perhaps it’s a no-win situation for youth rights, as are many situations. If the vaccine were available but not required, might have idiot parents preventing their daughters from getting vaccinated, against the girl’s wishes, fearing she’d think it would be a green light to have lots of unprotected sex. With the vaccine required, that isn’t so much an issue, but still girls being vaccinated perhaps against their wishes. Hard to tell.
