I'm not much for politics. I'd describe my political party affiliation as ""Cynic."" I try to keep politics out of my columns, for the simple reason that you don't have to share my political beliefs to find the column useful, and I don't have to share yours to provide an effective answer to your questions.
I am writing to let you know that I think that your column is one of the reasons why there are so many tragic sexual consequences in this society, like the recent death of Natalie Morton ... People say that information never hurts, but the problem is that when people get the HPV vaccine, they think that they are invincible and don't have to be responsible. You and others like you should be promoting abstinence instead of sex, because abstinence is the only way to keep yourself safe from the STD's and other consequences of sex ... Please do not respond to this email.
""Anonymous Badger""
So this week, I am getting political.
To start, A.B. refers to the case of Natalie Morton, a 14-year-old girl from Coventry, England, who died last week of a malignant tumor of the chest, according to BBC News. One of the reasons her death was of such concern to public health officials is because hours before she died, she was given Cervarix, a vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), and there was concern the shot contributed to her death.
Natalie Morton's death is certainly tragic, and my heart goes out to her family and friends. Further, if her death had anything to do with the shot, that absolutely must be investigated. As it turns out, though, her death appears to be unrelated to the vaccination. The official cause of death was a chest tumor that had ""heavily infiltrated"" her heart and lungs (BBC News), which had undoubtedly been present long before she was given Cervarix.
As a result, this case has few direct implications for vaccination programs in the United States. The common HPV vaccine given in the U.S. is not Cervarix, which Natalie received; Cervarix is made by GlaxoSmithKline and, in fact, has not yet received FDA approval. Gardasil, which is made by Merck, is the FDA-approved vaccine for HPV in the United States, so if you received the vaccine stateside, the odds you received Cervarix are practically zero. This is important because even if Cervarix is unsafe, that does not have any bearing on the safety of Gardasil or implications for women who have received it.
Last but not least on the facts of the case, the fact Britain's vaccination program is not mandatory seems to be lost on many of the people who are chomping at the bit to show the vaccine should not be given. In Britain and most U.S. states, women, girls and parents can choose whether to be vaccinated or have their daughters vaccinated. They likely choose to do so because one health phenomenon which does kill women, as it turns out, is cervical cancer, which is caused by some strains of HPV. If a person is committed to remaining abstinent, as A.B. advocates, it may not be important for him/her to get the HPV shot at this point; both vaccines (Cervarix and Gardasil) can cause mild to moderate side effects, and no one is attempting to hide that fact. However, cervical cancer causes hella more side effects, so if a person does not choose abstinence, the risk-benefit ratio may tip the scales in favor of the vaccine.
The purpose of my column is not to promote sex, or to promote abstinence, or to promote getting or not getting the HPV vaccine. But you know, A.B., I'm going to go out on a limb here and say if a person finds himself (yes, Gardasil has recently been recommended for FDA approval for use in boys and men) or herself feeling ""invincible"" after receiving the HPV vaccine, the problem isn't having too much information. It's not having enough. People subject themselves to various risks every single day. We drive cars, we ride our bikes and mopeds, we undergo surgery. However, we choose to subject ourselves to these risks because they can make our lives easier and/or better, and we find ways to minimize the risks associated with them—we wear seatbelts, we wear helmets, we learn about our options and find the best doctors we can. The HPV vaccine is just like a seatbelt; if we choose to drive a car, we might want to wear it. But few of us think we're immune to auto accidents just because we fastened that belt. If we do think so, then somebody didn't give us the whole story.
The choice to remain abstinent can be a brave, respectable and empowered one. The choice to engage in sexual activity can be a brave, respectable and empowered one. I will not accept responsibility for the ""many tragic sexual consequences"" with which you've tried to burden me and people like me with. When even the state of Texas has begun to recognize abstinence-only education results in more unplanned pregnancies and more sexually transmitted infections, I think you'd best direct that reproachful glare at a mirror.
Oh, and ""Please do not respond to this e-mail""? We're grown-ups now. Sometimes that means engaging in grown-up things. For some people, that might be sex; for others, it might be intelligent debate. If you'd like to get started with the latter, A.B., you know where to find me.
Whether you're interested in intelligent debate or having Erica tackle questions about your other grownup things, e-mail her at sex@dailycardinal.com.
