The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is a breakthrough drug because it dramatically reduces the odds of women getting deadly cervical cancer.
Some 20 states are considering or have adopted mandatory programs for middle school-aged girls to be vaccinated against HPV, although most are allowing opt-out provisions for parents who do not want their daughters inoculated.
Texas Governor Rick Perry’s recent decision to require 11- and 12-year-old girls to be vaccinated has ignited a firestorm of controversy among conservative religious and sexual abstinence advocacy groups who claim the vaccine — marketed as Gardasil by Merck & Co. — will encourage young girls to have sex.
Civil liberties and anti-vaccine groups also have spoken out because of concerns that Gardasil is being forced on girls and is being introduced too quickly with little real-world experience beyond clinical trials.
Additionally, there are concerns about the expense of the vaccine – About $360 for a three-shot course — and whether girls from poor families will be able to avail themselves of the drug.
But lost in the debate is a huge question:
If Gardasil is so good at pushing back against the epidemic of sexually transmitted infections and diseases, why not give it to males as well?
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