A pending bill in the state Legislature would require sixth-grade girls to receive a recently approved Human Papillomavirus immunization. Lawmakers must treat the bill as a public health issue and a positive step in the fight against cervical cancer.
While conservative opponents may label the bill a license for middle school students to drive on the highway of casual sex, immunizing girls at a young age will protect them from a potentially fatal virus that may lead to cancer.
HPV is the most pervasive sexually transmitted disease in the nation with about 50 percent of men and women contracting the disease at some point in their lives. According to the American Cancer Society, HPV is responsible for 99 percent of diagnosed cases of cervical cancer.
The issue of adolescent sexual behavior should not split people along partisan lines—all parents are concerned about the health and behavior of their children. Statistics compiled by the Centers for Disease Control have shown that over the last 15 years, the number of teenagers in the United States who have engaged in sexual intercourse remains constant at slightly less than half.
The vaccine does not prevent all sexually transmitted infections and with a policy that emphasizes education, there is little reason to believe this new vaccine will prompt any substantial change in these trends.
The current version of the bill allows families to opt out of the requirement, much in line with conservative groups like Focus on the Family, who would prefer the vaccination to be optional. The ability to opt out should be enough to appease the bill's detractors.
When a similar bill was defeated in Michigan after Republicans expressed concern over how far the government should intrude into family life, it is up to Wisconsin to lead the way in this life-saving health initiative.
Children already receive Hepatitis vaccinations, so why should HPV be any different?
Conservative concerns over the government barging into the household do not reflect the real issue at hand. The line separating issues of public and private health remains thin, but we believe the opportunity to prevent Wisconsin women from developing a potentially fatal disease should trump any fears of unnecessary government involvement in family life. All young women in Wisconsin should benefit from this potentially life saving vaccine.
