Catholic School Board decide not to vaccinate for cervical cancer on moral grounds

[photon]

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...3-571e0fbb7583

Health regions are preparing the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine program for Grade 5 girls, which will begin later this month or early October.The voluntary program has generated considerable debate in Alberta's Catholic school boards. Some have questioned whether it is appropriate to inoculate against a virus largely transmitted through sexual activity given the church's opposition to premarital sex.

. . . Catholic schools appear to be condoning premarital sex," said trustee Marge Belcourt.
. . .

Schools will be sending parents an information package complete with a letter from the bishop on the issue and resources from Alberta Health and Wellness on the vaccine as well as where parents can get it for their child free if it's not provided at schools, said Belcourt.

I don't see how this is really around premarital sex. Handing out condoms to school kids is one thing, I can appreciate how that could be seen as condoning premarital sex, but this is something that helps prevent cancer.

I doubt sex is the only way to transmit HPV (though I have no idea what the rates are). If you're the one that contracted HPV through non-sexual means and got cancer I doubt it's comforting knowing why you were sacrificed.

And the stupidest thing is HPV doesn't know the difference between premarital sex and sex inside a marriage! This is most effective if given at the ages they're talking about, and it may be shocking but eventually those girls are going to get married and have sex .

So saying it's about premarital sex is a very weak excuse in my opinion.

At least they're sending material home to educate parents about this and hopefully they'll all take advantage of other avenues, but I'd be interested in seeing a copy of the letter the bishop will send home.

[habernac]

#$%$ing hypocrites. The health of children is more important than any so called crapola Bishop Fred Henry is spouting. Teenagers have urges. Sometimes they act on them. And they need to be protected. But something like this is hardly surprising coming from a bunch who still think women are second class citizens.

[CaptainCrunch]

HPV caused cervical cancer is pretty well only caused by transmission of the virus through sexual transmission where the virus infects the genital area and can cause anything from genital warts to the more virulent form in terms of cancer.

I can respect the schools decision about the innoculation of 5th graders, at least they're sending information and contact points home to the parents so that they can choose to get their kids vaccinated, but lets not make this out to be some anti catholic school issue, they're not going against the rights of the kids to get the shot, they're just not comfortable with the shots happening at the school when their message is pretty well avoidance through abstinance.

[atb]

I find this bizzare, sure this is against an STD, but it's more the resulting cancerous effects that this is aimed at preventing. On those grounds it should be conisdered a vaccine against a type of cancer rather than preventing an STD. Tell the kids that and stick them with the needle. You have to rationalize that kids are going to be sexual active one day, and is it worth taking the chance that they'll be smart enough to get the vaccine before that day?

[peter12]

Ridiculous. The school should have gone ahead and left it to the parents and the child to decide to get the vaccination or not. Silly catholics.

[Flames0910]

Originally Posted by peter12

Ridiculous. The school should have gone ahead and left it to the parents and the child to decide to get the vaccination or not. Silly catholics.

umm, isn't this exactly what they're doing??

Schools will be sending parents an information package complete with a letter from the bishop on the issue and resources from Alberta Health and Wellness on the vaccine as well as where parents can get it for their child free if it's not provided at schools, said Belcourt.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

I'm an oddball I guess. My first thought was that this doesn't really belong in school, and I'm not religious at all. By all means inform parents and let them decide.

[Canada 02]

Catholic schools in the UK have recently made the same decision

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/gerald_...pv_vaccination

the purpose of the injections is to reduce the risk of cervical cancer due to sexual promiscuity

consenting to vaccination was condoning pre-marital sex

Both "liberal" Catholics and militant secularists are taking refuge in weasel-worded hypocrisy about health risks. The risks are caused by promiscuous sex, not non-vaccination

To the fanatical moral nihilists of Labour, teenage virginity is a dangerous illness that must be eliminated as early as possible

[photon]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I can respect the schools decision about the innoculation of 5th graders, at least they're sending information and contact points home to the parents so that they can choose to get their kids vaccinated, but lets not make this out to be some anti catholic school issue, they're not going against the rights of the kids to get the shot, they're just not comfortable with the shots happening at the school when their message is pretty well avoidance through abstinance.

I was more interested in discussion their reasoning behind it, I agree I don't want a general catholic bashing thread.

Like I said, these girls will have sex eventually when they get married so this isn't necessarily an issue about premarital sex, they're just presenting it that way.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally Posted by photon

Like I said, these girls will have sex eventually when they get married ...

Wait...I thought sex stopped then. At least thats what my wife says.

[Russic]

at least they are sending an info package to parents. Not nearly enough in my mind, but it's something. I'm not exactly sure why they think actions such as this will lead to an increase in premarital sex.

I'll never understand the idea that not teaching proper sex education is the best way to keep kids from doing it. A friend of mine in the Catholic School system isn't even allowed to teach her students about condoms. Unfortunately not giving this vaccine is incredibly consistent.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Russic

at least they are sending an info package to parents. Not nearly enough in my mind, but it's something. I'm not exactly sure why they think actions such as this will lead to an increase in premarital sex.

I'll never understand the idea that not teaching proper sex education is the best way to keep kids from doing it. A friend of mine in the Catholic School system isn't even allowed to teach her students about condoms. Unfortunately not giving this vaccine is incredibly consistent.

ignorance is bliss, right? they're stuck in the dark ages.

[jonesy]

I can't see the problem with this. If you want to vaccinate you daughter, go do it.
I have some daughters and I am really not sure whether to do it or not.
There are sometimes side effects with vaccinations, and unless I'm mistaken, this doesn't get ALL the hpv, so while decreasing chances of HPV, it does not eliminate them.
There is also the chance that anyone with this vaccination will feel immune to STD's and make it easier to give in to the urge to have sex. I don't think this can be understated, it is one less thing to worry about and therefore makes sex that much less dangerous.

[Bobblehead]

I don't think there is a very large difference between teen sex rates in the public system and the Catholic system. To discourage this immunization because you fear it may encourage premarital sex seems kind of like they don't believe there is already premarital sex going on.

In addition, I highly doubt that kids will be thinking, "Great, I won't get HPV, I'm free to go wild!" The threat of cancer doesn't deter teens from smoking, I doubt the threat of HPV is detering them from sex.

Even if the girls do wait until marriage to have sex, how can they be sure their prospective spouse waited?

The downside of getting the immunization is very low. The downside of NOT getting the immunization is very high.

Edit: I just looked up some Canadian stats for HPV:

Canada 2006:

* HPV is the world's most common sexually transmitted infection.
* Over 80 types of HPV have been reliably identified, but researchers believe there are likely over 200.
* It is estimated that 75% of Canadians will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime.20
* It is often referred to as a 'silent' infection as most cases are asymptomatic.
* HPV is transmitted through vaginal, oral or anal sex as well as skin-to-skin contact.
* HPV can cause skin warts, genital warts, pre-cancerous lesions and lead to certain types of cancers.

http://www.sexualityandu.ca/media-ro...-sheets-1.aspx

[Cowboy89]

Funny thing this morning walking to the train. The headline for the Calgary Herald headline today on the front page was : "Catholic students won't get cancer vaccine." Upon looking at the newspaper box the word "Vaccine" was missing from view due to the design of the window on the box. As a former Catholic student myself I felt invincible until this mornings "Metro" paper on the train informed me that they can't get the "cancer vaccine" as opposed to "can't get cancer."

[jonesy]

Originally Posted by habernac

#$%$ing hypocrites. The health of children is more important than any so called crapola Bishop Fred Henry is spouting. Teenagers have urges. Sometimes they act on them. And they need to be protected. But something like this is hardly surprising coming from a bunch who still think women are second class citizens.

Whoa there, I don't know any catholics that think women are 2nd class citizens. I'm not catholic, but that is pretty harsh.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by jonesy

Whoa there, I don't know any catholics that think women are 2nd class citizens. I'm not catholic, but that is pretty harsh.

so why can't women be priests? Or bishops? Etc etc etc.... only men can be in positions of power, why is that?

[peter12]

Originally Posted by TanguayFan

umm, isn't this exactly what they're doing??

Not exactly. Schools serve as a perfect distribution method. It would almost certainly result in a greater % of students actually receiving the vaccine even if it requires parental consent.

[metal_geek]

Sucks... some young mother is gonna die of a cancer that could have been prevented, because of someones misguided morals.

[RougeUnderoos]

I'm surprised this is an issue for them. If the Catholic education these children are receiving is doing its job, none of them will be having sex until after marriage anyway. None of them need a vaccine. The fear of eternal damnation will keep their knickers cinched.

These people know it -- they know with absolute certainty -- that 99% of the kids that come to their school everyday are going to be "active" before they get married. They know it, the parents know it, , the Pope knows it, everyone knows it, but they continue this charade and deny reality.

Unfortunately some human beings are going to have to pay the price for this willful ignorance. It won't be a member of the clergy though, I know that.