Recently, Alisyn Cobb wrote about various states proposing bills that would make the new human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil, a requirement for girls 13 and under. HPV is a virus that causes cervical cancer.
However you feel about this highly-charged issue, there's no denying that this is a big medical breakthrough. Those of us that have suffered through abnormal paps and painful culposcopies are sitting up and taking notice. Especially if we have daughters.
Mir, the veteran blogger behind of Woulda Coulda Shoulda and Want Not, wrote an eloquent piece for BlogHer about why she will vaccinate her daughter as soon as she is able. She makes the case by saying:
If I have my daughter vaccinated at 9, it's all about disease
prevention and nothing more. If I wait until she's older, then the
other issues creep in unbidden. If I have my 11-year-old vaccinated
just as puberty is coming to roost, I will feel compelled to tie this
to issues of her budding sexuality, and perhaps seize on this rather
inorganic opportunity to espouse my personal values and embarrass her
terribly. If I wait until she's a full-fledged teenager, the unpleasant
reality is that---all parenting and values aside, no matter what they
are---we may be too late, for one thing, and she may feel
compelled to seize on this rather inorganic opportunity to either
protest her chastity or tell me what I can do with my values and
embarrass us both terribly. She may even---with the invincible wisdom
of a teen---insist she doesn't need it.
Read her post and click through all her links. Then join the thoughtful discussion in the comments. It will give you lots to chew on.
[via BlogHer]
