Registered Charity No. 1072831
Patrons: Prof. Jack Cohen, Alan Cumming and Brian Sewell
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All email is handled in the strictest confidence.
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NewsCervical Cancer and Genital Warts Demise Near - Religious Conservative ObjectsSunday 4th June 2006A new vaccine from Merck called Gardasil is expected to be approved by the American Food and Drug Agency (FDA) on 8 June 2006, according to Diane Chun of The Gainsville Sun. Gardasil would prevent two strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV) that cause 70% of cervical cancer in women. Gardasil will also prevent genital warts in both men and women. The American Cancer Society stated that most sexually active adults have been infected with HPV at some point in their lives. Ten-thousand American women will develop cervical cancer this year, with the disease being fatal in ten percent. The vaccine must be taken in three doses over six months, and it is likely it will be recommended for girls aged 11 and 12. Christian fundamentalist and newspaper columnist James Dobson of Focus on the Family has criticised the vaccine fearing that if it were given to young girls it would encourage premarital sex. Because the vaccine would prevent genital warts as well as HPV, Dr. Guy Benrubi, Dean for Clinical Affairs and Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Florida College of Medicine's Jacksonville campus has suggested it would be taken by young adults and promoted on university campuses. Benrubi is quoted saying he will encourage his own 22 year-old son to get the jab. It is unclear if the jabs, or shots as they are called in America, will be made mandatory or voluntary. The USA, unlike the UK, has a tradition of certain mandatory vaccines in order to access free state education. The cost of the vaccine is expected to be US$300 to US$500 per dose. It is not yet known if private insurance companies, or MedicAid, the public health service for poor Americans, will pay for Gardasil. Reports that cervical cancer may be less common in the female partners of circumcised men have long been the stock in trade of circumcision proponents. There is, however, no proof to the standards of modern evidence-based medicine that it is effective. Moreover its efficacy is contradicted by case-controlled studies that have shown no difference or even a higher rate of cervical cancer in the partners of circumcised men. The claim is however very tenacious and has resurfaced in the last two years. Gardasil will silence any remaining arguements for male circumcision to prevent female cervical cancer, which were always highly questionable. |
Registered Charity No. 1072831
Patrons: Prof. Jack Cohen, Alan Cumming and Brian Sewell
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All email is handled in the strictest confidence.
All design and content © 1998-2010 NORM-UK unless otherwise indicated