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Don't Let Politics Interfere in the Fight against Cervical Cancer
The announcement that scientists at Merck & Co. and GlaxoSmithKline have developed vaccines that drastically reduce or eliminate a major cause of cervical cancer is welcome news. These vaccines, among the most important public health victories since the polio vaccine, appear to be both safe and effective in preventing the most dangerous strains of the cancer-causing and highly infectious skin-to-skin contact disease known as human papilloma virus (HPV). Instead of wholeheartedly applauding this scientific breakthrough, however, some social conservatives have expressed concern that, because the disease is generally spread by sexual activity, widespread administration of the vaccines to teens could be seen as encouraging teenage sexual activity and promiscuity. Rather than admit that some young adults will have sex and seek practical solutions to the associated risks, social conservatives have chosen to hide from the facts, and women pay the ultimate price.
Fields
| Organization name : |
Center for American Progress
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| Topic area(s) : |
HPV, Cervical cancer, Pap tests, Screening, Treatment, Vaccines , Other (please specify below) |
| Other: |
Politics
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| Target Audience Age: |
General audience |
| Target Audience Race/Ethnicity : |
General audience
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| Audience Type : |
General audience |
| What language is this resource in: |
English |
| Was this resource designed for a low literacy audience: |
No
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| What year was this resource published or produced: |
2006
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| State: |
Any
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| Is this resource available for free: |
Yes
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