ancientjaguar (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lady_kishiria) wrote2007-02-05 02:05 pm
lady_kishiria) wrote2007-02-05 02:05 pm
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A reason NOT to move to Texas
I grant, there are a few, but this one is new.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16975112/wid/11915773?GT1=9033
The governor there is demanding that all schoolgirls receive the new HPV vaccine. Now, I've been hoping for this vaccination for years and was overjoyed when it came out although AFAIK I'm too old to receive it. However, some politician telling parents that their daughter MUST have it sets every civil-liberties alarm in my mind to screaming.
People are arguing that it's no different than the smallpox, polio, and measles vaccines. Some parents would argue that making those mandatory impinges on their rights to raise their children, and since I've read some scary things on those vaccines I must say I'm undecided.
There is one clear difference between the above mentioned diseases and Gardasil. Those diseases are transmitted through air, water (such as in a swimming pool), or touching something an infected person has touched. HPV is usually (not always) sexually transmitted, and this has further implications to parents.
I come from a Latino family where, even Americanized as they were, my purity was very much the pillar of the family's "honour". (This, by the way, is where my much-discussed hatred of the whole concept of "honour" comes from.) I know my parents, my mother especially, would have objected to the implication that I'd be sleeping around at the age of 11. Where would my parents' rights over me be?
I know that when I was 11, the idea of being forced to have this vaccine would have outraged and upset me. I was a very pious child, with further complications stemming from an obvious case of sexual identity dysphoria, and I would have seen the clear implications that they were expecting I'd do "it" with a boy. Where would MY rights to my own body be?
Lastly, the vaccine has only been on the market a few months, so it's unknown if there are any side effects. Some should be expected; even the standard ones have them. That in and of itself would make me as a parent hesitant to have my daughter innoculated.
When I first heard of the vaccine, I pictured it as something older teens and young women would take voluntarily. Making it mandatory for middle-school girls feels like violation, not liberation. From Gardasil it's a short jump to birth control, and while I support making birth control easily available to all who need it, making it mandatory would be disgusting and wrong.
It took a while to fully articulate why this story bothers me so much. I'm looking forward to whatlibertarianhawk in particular has to say about it.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16975112/wid/11915773?GT1=9033
The governor there is demanding that all schoolgirls receive the new HPV vaccine. Now, I've been hoping for this vaccination for years and was overjoyed when it came out although AFAIK I'm too old to receive it. However, some politician telling parents that their daughter MUST have it sets every civil-liberties alarm in my mind to screaming.
People are arguing that it's no different than the smallpox, polio, and measles vaccines. Some parents would argue that making those mandatory impinges on their rights to raise their children, and since I've read some scary things on those vaccines I must say I'm undecided.
There is one clear difference between the above mentioned diseases and Gardasil. Those diseases are transmitted through air, water (such as in a swimming pool), or touching something an infected person has touched. HPV is usually (not always) sexually transmitted, and this has further implications to parents.
I come from a Latino family where, even Americanized as they were, my purity was very much the pillar of the family's "honour". (This, by the way, is where my much-discussed hatred of the whole concept of "honour" comes from.) I know my parents, my mother especially, would have objected to the implication that I'd be sleeping around at the age of 11. Where would my parents' rights over me be?
I know that when I was 11, the idea of being forced to have this vaccine would have outraged and upset me. I was a very pious child, with further complications stemming from an obvious case of sexual identity dysphoria, and I would have seen the clear implications that they were expecting I'd do "it" with a boy. Where would MY rights to my own body be?
Lastly, the vaccine has only been on the market a few months, so it's unknown if there are any side effects. Some should be expected; even the standard ones have them. That in and of itself would make me as a parent hesitant to have my daughter innoculated.
When I first heard of the vaccine, I pictured it as something older teens and young women would take voluntarily. Making it mandatory for middle-school girls feels like violation, not liberation. From Gardasil it's a short jump to birth control, and while I support making birth control easily available to all who need it, making it mandatory would be disgusting and wrong.
It took a while to fully articulate why this story bothers me so much. I'm looking forward to what
libertarianhawk in particular has to say about it.
for the sake of child sex abuse survivors could be a very good thing
However, having had a few months to mull it over, I've changed my mind. I'm sure many of you will be upset by this but I think, assuming the vaccine is safe, that vaccination for it is a good idea.
The reasons I think so are twofold.
I come from and known quite a few people who do to, very dysfunctional families who a were in many ways, a danger to us as kids. As some parents engage in sexual abuse of their kids. If this can protect abused daughters from getting an infection through any sort of forced sex, wiether incestual or rape, I'm all for it.
Also, if a kid is being sexually abused she might engage in sex without the parents knowing.
2. I actually was exposed somehow to HPV before anyone knew much about it. I had to have an operation, when these were very new, in mu mid twenties, for dysplasia caused by the virus. I would have loved to have been able to receive a vaccine for it before that infection occured.
Now if they could just vaccinate against herpes simplex 1 - the cold sore we'd be onto something.
The heck with dignity and honour in other's eyes (something only the non-abused can afford). I'd rather have been protected from the cascer causing virus and *not* have had to have someone shoot a laser (that sounded distressingly like a shopvac) up my vagina, thank you very much. he was a good doctor but still. I'd rather any children i had be protected from the risk.
You can always get your honour and dignity back later.
Re: for the sake of child sex abuse survivors could be a very good thing
However, you also make a very good point, more sensible than most, I think.
I'm somewhat less opposed if I know parents can opt out of it. My cousin Patty was able to opt out of her daughter's getting mandatory vaccinations by claiming to be a Christian Scientist, which she isn't, she's just a natural medicine freak.
I still don't like the idea of government telling me how to raise my kids. This is why
Gov't vs private nannies
Re: Gov't vs private nannies
Re: Gov't vs private nannies