Meagan ([info]dryad_song) wrote,
@ 2007-08-02 14:22:00
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A little common sense, please
From The Canadian Press:
Even with vaccination, women would still need to have regular Pap smears. But Lippman and others worry that some women will misconceive HPV vaccination as a silver bullet that will give them carte blanche to have as many sexual partners as they want, with little thought for safe sex practices.

Right. So, to recap, people are thinking that giving girls a vaccination against genital warts will convince them that they’re free to go! Forget that whole pregnancy thing, or AIDS (really, I mean, that’s so last year). Even if a girl has never heard of gonorrhea, syphilis, or chlamydia, my thought is that HPV isn't going to be their biggest concern, protection-wise. What is wrong with people's brains?

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[info]brother_blaze
2007-08-02 08:28 pm UTC (link)
"What is wrong with people's brains?"

My guess? They've paid too much attention to what real people actually do.

I don't know if Canada is as bad as the US in this respect, but the neo-puritan approach to health issues--especially sexual health issues--has left a huge portion of the population utterly ignorant (or worse!) of sexual health, their responsibilities, and the consequences of their actions.

I can sort of understand if they don't now about things such as HPV (it's really not as "popular" of a disease as AIDS--from a media/awareness perspective), but it's utterly appalling the number of people who don't understand the very basics of sexual mechanics and reproduction. In this day & age, nobody should think that "you can't get pregnant the first time" or not understand the fertility cycle (oddly enough, it's the Catholics that are actually ahead of the curve in that area), or not know that it only takes 1 sperm to do the job, or.... any of a dozen other very basic concepts.

As pathetic as it seems, I have absolutely no problem envisioning some one saying "But... This can't be happening! I/She got the shot!"

When we invade Nova Scotia and set up the Free Nation of Geekonia, I'm going to appoint Nina Hartley as the Secretary of Sexual Health [1]. I'm only half joking. If I were dictator, I would have such a post in my cabinet. I honestly believe that a well-educated public would mean fewer incidents of disease, fewer unwanted pregnancies, and fewer abortions. I'll even go out on a limb and say that there would be fewer incidents of sexual assault[2].

Grrrr! There are so many aspect of this whole broad topic that can really get my dander up. The worst part, I guess, is that there's no reason for this kind of behavior. Ignorance is easily cured! I'm normally very very good at putting myself into other people's shoes--even if I'm absolutely opposed to their viewpoint--and understanding where they're coming from and how they're seeing things. But I simply can not understand why people are so terrified of sex. [3] It makes no sense to me. And I don't think it ever will.


[1] And Peter North can serve under her. (Sorry.... I just couldn't resist.) :D

[2] Part of that would be because the victims would have the knowledge and confidence to get out of situations where they are currently too afraid or too ignorant to protect themselves, and part would be a reduction in "guilt victims" who consent before and during, but feel ashamed afterwards and retroactively revoke that consent.

[3] Now... I can understand being intimidated by sex. Especially if you're young and inexperienced and you're with a babe who's so much more experienced and skilled and smooth and sexy..... I can understand not wanting to look like a clumsy dork in front of her, but being afraid of "all things sex"? What the hell is that all about?

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[info]zop
2007-08-04 12:09 am UTC (link)
because whenever sex is involved, especially sex and women, even MORE especially sex and 'young' women, they get an autmatic 50-100pt IQ deduction.

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