Merck and GlaxoSmithKline have developed a vaccine to immunize against infection from the human papilloma virus (HPV), the virus that causes most cases of cervical cancer.
Unfortunately, and perhaps not unexpectedly, the religious right plans to fight the distribution of the vaccine. This is because they have a wicked and repungant use for HPV: frightening teens into abstinence:
"Giving the HPV vaccine to young women could be potentially harmful because they may see it as a license to engage in premarital sex," says Bridget Maher of the Family Research Council, a Christian lobby that plans to fight a Merck campaign to make HPV vaccination mandatory for all girls by the time they enter junior high.Naturally, there's no hard evidence that the tactic works, (note the weasel phrase "could be potentially harmful") and no reason to think that young woman are forgoing premarital sex for fear of cervical cancer.
On the other hand, there is plenty of evidence that an HPV vaccine will prevent thousands of needless deaths from cervical cancer, but the religious right doesn't seem to care: "Let people die, horrible, painful and preventable deaths," appears to be their motto, "So long as they're not having premarital sex."
So much for the religious right and their "culture of life."
